Dictionary

have to en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈhæf.tu/ strong form
• /ˈhæf.tə/ weak form, Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada, Australia
• /ˈhæv.tuː/ strong form
• (Southern-England) audio
• (US) audio

Etymology

Dates back at least to the Old English habban + tō construction, with the same meaning as sense 1 below.

Meanings

1. Must; need to; to be urged to; to be required to; indicates obligation.
   • The railway ran through the resort's narrow streets up to Weymouth Quay station, with thoughtlessly parked vehicles sometimes having to be bumped out of the way. 2023 December 27, Stephen Roberts, “Bradshaw's Britain: the way to Weymouth”, in RAIL, number 999, page 55:
   • I have to go to the bathroom.
   • She said you had not to talk to me, but you don't have to obey her anymore.
   • A nasty, empty feeling began to crawl up inside me. It was the same sensation I used to have sometimes as a child when I got to fancying that horrors were lurking in the shadowy corners of the bedroom; when I daren't put a foot out for fear that something should reach from under the bed and grab my ankle; daren't even reach for the switch lest the movement should cause something to leap at me. I had to fight down the feeling, just as I had had to when I was a kid in the dark. 1951, John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, published 1954, page 9:
   • Before the new station could be built, a private overbridge had to be raised, and the railway regraded. 1951 September, “Notes and News: New Station for Glasgow Zoo”, in Railway Magazine, page 639:
   • Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.
   • I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
   • I just have to have that shirt.
   • Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. 2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:
   • You have to wear a seat belt.
2. (with be) Must; expresses a logical conclusion.
   • that has to be the postman; it has to be an electrical fault

Forms

Synonyms

have got to · must · got to · got to · gotta · have got to · be bound to · gotta · need to

Translations (141)

lld cognei (obligation) · is þurfa að (obligation) · be паві́нен (obligation) · es haber de (obligation) · sh тре̏бати (obligation) · hu biztosan (conclusion) · grc χρή (obligation) · pt haver de (obligation) · ia deber (obligation) · fi olla pakko (conclusion) · es no quedar(le) de otra que (obligation) · cmn 非……不可 (obligation) · es tener que (obligation) · eo devi (obligation) · yue 要 (obligation) · hu bizonyára (conclusion) · pt ter que (obligation) · tr -meli (obligation) · ang sċulan (obligation) · be му́сіць (obligation) · lv vajadzēt (obligation) · fr falloir (obligation) · sh mórati (obligation) · hu alighanem (conclusion) · th ต้อง (obligation) · fi täytyä (obligation) · hu minden bizonnyal (conclusion) · km ត្រូវ (obligation) · rm stuer (obligation) · fa باید (obligation) · ru должны́ (conclusion) · hu kénytelen (obligation) · cs mít (obligation) · sk mať (obligation) · la habeō (obligation) · sq do bër (obligation) · sk musieť (obligation) · ru должна́ (obligation) · vi phải (obligation) · sq du't (gheg) (obligation) · izh hoolia (obligation) · ja ...ないと駄目だ (obligation) · fi pitää (conclusion) · lt turėti (obligation) · fr avoir à (obligation) · fi olla pakko (obligation) · sc dèpere (obligation) · nl moeten (obligation) · de müssen (obligation) · ro trebui (obligation) · hy պետք (obligation) · ru должны́ (obligation) · lld cogner (obligation) · ms patut (obligation) · fur dovê (obligation) · es no tener más que (obligation) · vec aer de (obligation) · hu biztos (conclusion) · hu lesz (conclusion) · nap avé a (obligation) · cmn 應該 /应该 (obligation) · hu muszáj (obligation) · bg трябва да (obligation) · id harus (obligation) · mk мора (conclusion) · la dēbeō (obligation) · ca haver de (obligation) · scn duviri (obligation) · lad tener menester de (obligation) · de (zu tun) haben (obligation) · ga is éigean (obligation) · hu kell (obligation) · sh trȅbati (obligation) · da skulle (obligation) · th จำเป็นต้อง (obligation) · fi pitää (obligation) · sq duhet (obligation) · ru должно́ (conclusion) · lld messei (obligation) · fi täytyä (conclusion) · pl musieć (obligation) · ru до́лжен (obligation) · sh мо́рати (obligation) · swb ulazimu (obligation) · ka უნდა (obligation) · lo ຕ້ອງ (obligation) · mk мора (obligation) · tl kailangan (obligation) · gl ter de (obligation) · my ရ (obligation) · rm stueir (obligation) · fr devoir (conclusion) · ms perlu (obligation) · ga caithfidh (obligation) · ko 해야 하다 (obligation) · be паві́нна (obligation) · ru должно́ (obligation) · tr -malı (obligation) · ja ...なくちゃ (obligation) · to fiemaʻu (obligation) · uk мати (obligation) · cy gorfod (obligation) · rm stuair (obligation) · cmn 不得不 (obligation) · ru должна́ (conclusion) · ga bhí ar (obligation) · arz يضطر (obligation) · id pasti (conclusion) · sk musieť (conclusion) · et pidama (obligation) · pl musieć (conclusion) · io mustar (obligation) · ru до́лжен (conclusion) · lld dover (obligation) · cmn 要 (obligation) · eu behar izan (obligation) · fr devoir (obligation) · sv vara tvungen (obligation) · la habeō quod (obligation) · rm stuvair (obligation) · izh pittää (obligation) · got 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌰𐌽 (obligation) · sv måste (obligation) · ja ...なきゃ (obligation) · it dovere (obligation) · pl mieć (obligation) · ar يَضْطَر (obligation) · he צריך (obligation) · be паві́нны (obligation) · cmn 一定 (conclusion) · cmn 肯定 (conclusion) · liv piḑīm (obligation) · no må (obligation) · th จำเป็น (obligation) · lld dovei (obligation) · pms avèj da (obligation) · es haber que (obligation) · uk повинен (obligation) · grc δεῖ (obligation) · cmn 必須 /必须 (obligation) · got 𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌱𐌰𐌽 (obligation)