tenías que

you had to

→ tener

phrase Uncommon #14,105

you had to Used to say there was an obligation or necessity in the past. In some contexts it can also mean 'you were supposed to' or 'you should have'.

SP: Tenías que llamarme antes.

EN: You had to call me earlier.

Sólo tenías que pedírmelo.

You only had to ask me.

— GOAT: Como cabras (2026)

Te tenías que morir.

You had to die.

— Roma (2018)

Tenías que haberlo dicho antes.

You should have said so sooner.

— Encontré al diablo (2010)

Tenías que ser mejor que tu padre.

You had to be better than your father.

No te tenías que vestir.

You didn't have to get dressed.

Por qué tenías que traerla?

Why did you have to bring her?

— Las noches de Cabiria (1957)

Tenías que haber asistido a la reunión de hoy.

You should have attended today's meeting.

Pero hija mía, ¿tenías que ir hasta Messina para meterte en problemas?

But my daughter, did you have to go all the way to Messina to get into trouble?

— Divorcio a la italiana (1961)

Tenías que habérmelo dicho.

You should have told me.

— El club de la lucha (1999)

Tenías que venir tú solo.

You were supposed to come alone.

— O Som ao Redor (2012)

Lo apagué, tenías que descansar.

I turned it off, you needed to rest.

— Sin amor (2017)

Mira, es algo que tenías que hacer.

Look, it's something you had to do.

Sólo tenías que hablar con Zé Pequeno.

You just had to talk to Zé Pequeno.

— Ciudad de Dios (2002)

Tenías que haber visto la caldera funcionando.

You should have seen the boiler running.

— Juno (2007)

Tenías que irte primero, para yo poder seguirte.

You had to leave first, so that I could follow you.

— Madre (Madeo) (2009)

Me tenías que haber contado la historia completa.

You should have told me the whole story.

Solo tenías que pedirlo.

All you had to do was ask.

— Open Your Eyes (1997)

Tenías que haberme contado la historia completa.

You should have told me the whole story.

Circuit, ¿tenías que elegir esta universidad, no?

Circuit, you had to choose this university, right?

— मुन्ना भाई एम बी बी एस (2003)

Pero tenías que resistirte.

But you had to resist.

— Hunting Season (2025)

Tenías que ser tú.

It had to be you.

— SEND HELP (Enviad ayuda) (2026)

Era algo que tenías que descubrir gradualmente.

It was something you had to discover gradually.

Tenías que haber sido tú.

It should have been you.

Me tenías que haber consultado.

You should have asked me.

— Volver (2006)

Pero aun así, tenías que conocerme primero.

But even so, you had to get to know me first.

— Anatomía de una caída (2023)