Spanish Phrase
Tenemos que asegurar todo lo que está afuera.
Meaning
The sentence means “We have to secure everything that is outside.” It conveys a sense of responsibility, often about protecting belongings, a building, or any items located outdoors.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to talk about taking measures to protect outdoor objects—like locking a garden shed, covering patio furniture, or ensuring a construction site is safe. It can appear in both informal conversations and more formal instructions.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Tenemosqueasegurartodoloqueestáafuera
Obligation with "tener que"
"Tenemos que" is the first‑person plural form of the periphrastic construction "tener que + infinitive", used to express a duty or necessity.
Asegurar (verb)
In this context, "asegurar" means “to secure, to make safe”. It can also mean “to assure” or “to insure” depending on context.
Todo lo que + clause
"Todo lo que" introduces a relative clause meaning “everything that”. The pronoun "lo" refers to an abstract thing.
Estar + adverb
"Está" is the third‑person singular of "estar", used here with the adverb "afuera" (outside) to locate the items.
Afuera vs. fuera
"Afuera" is the adverbial form meaning “outside”. "Fuera" can also be used, but "afuera" is more common in everyday speech.
🗨In Conversation
Tenemos que asegurar todo lo que está afuera antes de la tormenta.
We have to secure everything that is outside before the storm.
Sí, voy a cubrir los muebles del patio y a cerrar la puerta del garaje.
Yes, I’ll cover the patio furniture and lock the garage door.
✕Common Mistakes
Tenemos que asegurar que todo lo está afuera.
"Asegurar que" introduces a clause meaning “to make sure that”. Here we need the verb "asegurar" meaning “to secure”.
Tenemos que asegurar todo lo que está fuera.
"Fuera" can be used, but "afuera" is the natural adverb for location; using "fuera" may sound slightly formal or ambiguous.
Tenemos que seguro todo lo que está afuera.
"Seguro" is an adjective meaning “safe” or a noun meaning “insurance”. It cannot replace the infinitive "asegurar" in this construction.
↔Alternatives
Debemos proteger todo lo que está fuera.
We must protect everything that is outside.
Hay que asegurar todas las cosas que están afuera.
We need to secure all the things that are outside.
Es necesario asegurar lo que hay afuera.
It is necessary to secure what is outside.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries, "asegurar" can also mean “to insure”. When you talk about physical security (locking, covering, fastening), the context makes it clear that you’re not referring to an insurance policy. Also, native speakers often prefer "afuera" for casual speech, while "fuera" may appear in more formal writing.