hay

There Is/There Are

Foundations

Use hay to say 'there is' or 'there are'. It's a single, unchangeable word for both singular and plural items in the present tense.

How It Works

In Spanish, the word hay is a special and very common form used to talk about the existence of people, places, or things. It's the equivalent of the English phrases "there is" and "there are".

The most important concept to understand is that hay is invariable in the present tense. This means it doesn't change, regardless of whether the noun that follows is singular or plural. This makes it much simpler than English!

Sentence Structure:
The typical structure is:

  • Hay + noun

For example:

  • Hay un problema. (There is a problem.)
  • Hay dos problemas. (There are two problems.)

Notice how hay stays the same in both sentences.

Usage with Articles:
hay is generally used with indefinite articles (un, una), numbers (dos, tres), or quantifiers (muchos, pocos). It is not typically used with definite articles (el, la, los, las).

Questions and Negatives:

  • To ask a question, you simply put question marks around the statement: ¿Hay...?
  • To make a negative statement, you add no before it: No hay...

Hay comes from the verb haber (to have/to be), but it functions in this unique way to express existence.

Examples (5)

  1. Hay un libro en la mesa.

    There is a book on the table.

    Word by Word: There is a book on the table.

  2. Hay muchas personas aquí.

    There are many people here.

    Word by Word: There are many people here.

  3. ¿Hay un restaurante cerca?

    Is there a restaurant nearby?

    Word by Word: Is there a restaurant near?

  4. No hay leche en el refrigerador.

    There is no milk in the refrigerator.

    Word by Word: Not there is milk in the refrigerator.

  5. En mi ciudad hay dos parques.

    In my city, there are two parks.

    Word by Word: In my city there are two parks.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'es' or 'está' instead of 'hay' for existence.

    Está un gato en el techo.
    Hay un gato en el techo.

    Use 'hay' to state that something exists for the first time. Use 'estar' to talk about the location of a specific, already identified item ('El gato está en el techo' - 'The cat is on the roof').

  • Incorrectly trying to make 'hay' plural.

    Han tres coches en la calle.
    Hay tres coches en la calle.

    'Hay' is invariable in the present tense. It means both 'there is' and 'there are'. It never changes to 'han' in this context.

  • Using a definite article (el, la, los, las) right after 'hay'.

    Hay los libros en la biblioteca.
    Hay libros en la biblioteca.

    'Hay' introduces something's existence, so it is usually followed by an indefinite article ('un libro'), a number ('dos libros'), a quantifier ('muchos libros'), or no article. A definite article is possible only in special uses, such as a list of what is there.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

hayFoundationsThere Is/There Are

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

haber