tuve que hacer

had to do

→ tener
phrase Rare #26,038
had to do Past tense of tener que + infinitive. Used to say something was necessary in the past.
SP: Tuve que hacer una llamada importante antes de salir.
EN: I had to make an important phone call before leaving.

Ahora, dadas las circunstancias, tuve que hacer otros planes.

Now, given the circumstances, I had to make other plans.

Tuve que hacer algunas llamadas telefónicas.

I had to make some phone calls.

Eso era lo único que tuve que hacer.

That was all I had to do.

Perdón, pero lo tuve que hacer.

Sorry, but I had to do it.

No tuve que hacer nada.

I didn't have to do anything.

— Bullet Train (2022)

Tuve que hacer una elección.

I had to make a choice.

Era lo único que tuve que hacer.

It was the only thing I had to do.

Hice lo que tuve que hacer.

I did what I had to do.

Tuve que hacer un discurso en corto plazo.

I had to give a short speech.

Ayer tuve que hacer horas extra.

Yesterday I had to work overtime.

Y tuve que hacer una piscina en el hueco de la escalera.

And I had to build a swimming pool in the stairwell.

— La dolce vita (1960)