Hay
"There is", "there are", and hay que.
hay (said like English eye) means "there is" and "there are". It has one form for one thing or many.
- There's a problem.
- There are a lot of tourists in summer.
- Is there a bank around here?
- There's no milk.
Hay or está
hay says that something exists somewhere; estar says where a particular thing is. So hay goes with un, una, numbers, mucho and nothing at all, but not with el and la.
- There's a pharmacy on the corner.
- The pharmacy is on the corner.
In other tenses
hay comes from haber, and changes with tense like a verb, still with one form for one or many. The two pasts are explained in The imperfect and The preterite.
| Tense | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| present | hay | Hay dos camas. There are two beds. |
| past, ongoing | había | Había mucha gente. There were a lot of people. |
| past, once | hubo | Hubo un accidente. There was an accident. |
| future | habrá | Habrá una fiesta. There will be a party. |
Hay que: one must
hay que before an infinitive says what must be done, without saying who: "you have to", "one must". To say who, use tener que.
- We need to buy bread.
- I have to work tomorrow.
Cards from this guide
9 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Sentences cards.
What does hay mean?
'There is' or 'there are'.
How is hay pronounced?
Like English eye.
How do you ask 'Is there a bank around here?'
¿Hay un banco por aquí?
Hay or está: which goes with el banco (the bank)?
está: El banco está aquí.
How do you say 'there's no milk'?
No hay leche.
How do you say 'there were a lot of people' about a scene in the past?
Había mucha gente.
What does hay que before a verb mean?
'One must', 'you have to', without saying who.
How do you say 'I have to work'?
Tengo que trabajar.
How do you say 'there will be a party'?
Habrá una fiesta.