- Use hay correctly - Express "there is" and "there are" in Spanish
- Distinguish hay from estar - Know when to use existence vs location
- Use past forms - Express "there was/were" with había and hubo
- Talk about the future - Say "there will be" with habrá
- Express obligation - Use hay que + infinitive for impersonal duties
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Expanding VerbsElementary
Haber: There Is / There Was / There Will Be
hay, había, hubo, habrá, habría
What You'll Learn
Overview
The verb haber has a special impersonal use in Spanish - it expresses existence. Unlike most verbs, impersonal haber never changes for singular or plural. Whether there's one thing or a hundred, the form stays the same.
The Golden Rule
hay = there is AND there are
Hay un libro = There is a book
Hay tres libros = There are three books
This is different from auxiliary haber used in perfect tenses (he comido, has hablado). Here we focus only on the impersonal "existence" meaning - saying that something exists or is present somewhere.
Structure & Formation
Part 1: Present - Hay
Hay is the present tense impersonal form. It comes from haber but is a unique, invariable form.
| Spanish | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hay un gato en el jardín. | There is a cat in the garden. | Singular |
| Hay muchos gatos en el jardín. | There are many cats in the garden. | Plural - same form! |
| Hay agua en la mesa. | There is water on the table. | Uncountable |
| No hay leche. | There is no milk. | Negative |
| ¿Hay una farmacia cerca? | Is there a pharmacy nearby? | Question |
| ¿Hay leche en la nevera? | Is there milk in the fridge? | Question |
Questions: Is there / Are there
In questions, hay translates as "is there" or "are there". In Spanish, the word order stays the same - just add question marks:
¿Hay un banco cerca? - Is there a bank nearby?
¿Hay habitaciones libres? - Are there free rooms?
¿Hay wifi aquí? - Is there wifi here?
Hay + Indefinite Articles Only!
Use un/una/unos/unas or numbers/quantities with hay - never el/la/los/las:
✓ Hay un libro en la mesa
✗ Hay el libro en la mesa - use "El libro está en la mesa" instead
✗ Hay el libro en la mesa - use "El libro está en la mesa" instead
Part 2: Past - Había vs Hubo
Spanish has two past forms of impersonal haber, matching the imperfect/preterite distinction:
| Form | Tense | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| había | Imperfect | Descriptive / ongoing / background | Había mucha gente en la fiesta (There were lots of people at the party) |
| hubo | Preterite | Completed event / specific occurrence | Hubo un accidente ayer (There was an accident yesterday) |
Había - Description / Background
Había flores en el jardín.
There were flowers in the garden.
No había nadie en casa.
There was nobody at home.
Antes había un cine aquí.
There used to be a cinema here.
Hubo - Completed Event
Hubo un terremoto en 2010.
There was an earthquake in 2010.
Hubo una explosión.
There was an explosion.
Hubo problemas con el vuelo.
There were problems with the flight.
Part 3: Future & Conditional - Habrá / Habría
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| habrá | There will be (prediction / certainty) | Mañana habrá una reunión. (Tomorrow there will be a meeting.) |
| habría | There would be (hypothetical) | Habría más turistas si hiciera sol. (There would be more tourists if it were sunny.) |
Habrá - Predictions
Habrá mucho tráfico esta tarde.
There will be a lot of traffic this afternoon.
No habrá clases mañana.
There won't be classes tomorrow.
Habría - Hypothetical
Habría menos problemas con más dinero.
There would be fewer problems with more money.
Sin ti, no habría fiesta.
Without you, there would be no party.
Part 4: Hay que + Infinitive
Hay que expresses impersonal obligation - something that needs to be done, but directed at nobody in particular. It's like saying "one must" or "you have to" (in general).
Hay que (impersonal - general)
Hay que estudiar para el examen.
One must study for the exam.
Hay que ser paciente.
You have to be patient. (in general)
Hay que reservar con antelación.
You need to book in advance.
Tener que (personal - specific person)
Tengo que estudiar para el examen.
I have to study for the exam.
Tienes que ser paciente.
You have to be patient. (directed at you)
Tiene que reservar con antelación.
He/She needs to book in advance.
Key Difference
Hay que = impersonal ("one must") - no subject
Tener que = personal ("I/you/he must") - conjugated for a specific person
Part 5: Hay vs Estar
This is one of the most common confusions for learners. Hay introduces something new (existence), while estar locates something already known.
| Hay (Existence) | Estar (Location) |
|---|---|
| Hay un banco en la esquina. | El banco está en la esquina. |
| There IS a bank on the corner. | The bank IS on the corner. |
| (introducing its existence) | (locating a known bank) |
Quick Test
Can you replace the noun with "the [noun]"? If yes, use estar. Is it "a/some [noun]"? Use hay.
Hay una farmacia cerca. (a pharmacy - existence)
La farmacia está cerca. (the pharmacy - location)
La farmacia está cerca. (the pharmacy - location)
Examples
Home & Location
Home
Hay dos dormitorios en mi casa.
There are two bedrooms in my house.
Building
No hay ascensor en el edificio.
There is no lift in the building.
Nearby
Hay un parque cerca de aquí.
There is a park near here.
City & Places
City
Hay muchos restaurantes en Madrid.
There are many restaurants in Madrid.
Asking
¿Hay un supermercado por aquí?
Is there a supermarket around here?
Traffic
Hay demasiado tráfico hoy.
There is too much traffic today.
Past Events
Description
Había mucha gente en el concierto.
There were a lot of people at the concert.
Event
Hubo un incendio en el centro.
There was a fire in the centre.
Used to
Antes había un río aquí.
There used to be a river here.
Future Plans
Plans
Habrá una fiesta el sábado.
There will be a party on Saturday.
Negative
No habrá examen esta semana.
There won't be an exam this week.
Prediction
Habrá más oportunidades.
There will be more opportunities.
Obligation
General
Hay que trabajar duro.
You have to work hard. (general)
Rules
Hay que respetar las reglas.
One must respect the rules.
Warning
Hay que tener cuidado.
You have to be careful.
Hay vs Estar Contrasts
Hay
Hay una tienda en la calle.
There is a shop on the street. (existence)
Estar
La tienda está en la calle Mayor.
The shop is on Main Street. (location)
Hay
¿Hay wifi aquí?
Is there wifi here? (existence)
Common Mistakes
Common Haber Mistakes
Wrong: Habían muchas personas
Correct: Había muchas personas
Impersonal haber NEVER changes for plural. Always había, never habían.
Wrong: Hay el libro en la mesa
Correct: Hay un libro en la mesa / El libro está en la mesa
Hay uses indefinite articles (un/una). For definite articles (el/la), use estar.
Wrong: Está un banco cerca
Correct: Hay un banco cerca
To introduce something new (existence), use hay. Estar locates something already known.
Wrong: Había un accidente ayer (for a sudden event)
Correct: Hubo un accidente ayer
For completed, specific events use hubo (preterite). Había is for descriptions and ongoing situations.
Quick Test
Test your understanding of hay, había, hubo, habrá and the hay vs estar distinction.
1. Complete: '___ muchos estudiantes en la clase.'
2. Choose the correct past form: '___ un terremoto en Chile en 2010.'
3. Which is correct? 'En la nevera...'
4. Fill in: 'Antes ___ un cine aquí, pero ahora es un supermercado.'
5. Translate: 'There will be a party on Saturday.'
6. Which expresses impersonal obligation?
7. '___ muchas personas en la fiesta anoche.' (describing the scene)
8. Choose the correct sentence about a known café: