TERVAN

Verb Lookup

haber

to have

Note · Nota: haber does two jobs. (1) It is the helper verb for compound tenses: he comido = I have eaten, había salido = I had left. (2) Used with no subject, it means “there is / there are”. In the present that form is hay (the él form ha, plus the old ending -y). The other tenses are regular-looking third person singular forms: había (there was, there used to be), hubo (there was, it happened), habrá (there will be), habría (there would be), ha habido (there has been), and va a haber (there is going to be). It never changes for plural: Hay un libro / Hay dos libros, Había mucha gente. Useful patterns: no hay = there isn't / there aren't any; ¿Hay…? = Is there…? / Are there…?; hay que + infinitive = one has to, you need to. Haber never means to own something: that is tener.
haber hace dos trabajos. (1) Es el verbo auxiliar de los tiempos compuestos: he comido, había salido. (2) Sin sujeto significa “there is / there are”. En presente esa forma es hay (la forma ha más una -y antigua). Las otras formas son de tercera persona singular: había, hubo, habrá, habría, ha habido, va a haber. Nunca cambia al plural: Hay un libro / Hay dos libros, Había mucha gente. Patrones útiles: no hay; ¿Hay…?; hay que + infinitivo (es necesario). Haber nunca significa poseer: para eso se usa tener.

🧩 Infinitive · Infinitivo

haber

ah-BEHR

to have

Gerund · Gerundio: habiendo

Participle · Participio: habido

Irregular

Yo · I

he

have

Yo he.

I have.

Tú · You

has

have

Tú has.

You have.

Él / Ella · He / She

ha

has

Él / Ella ha.

He / She has.

Nosotros · We

hemos

have

Nosotros hemos.

We have.

Ellos · They

han

have

Ellos han.

They have.

Why does this change?

Irregular
Doesn't follow a predictable pattern in at least one tense — these forms are worth memorizing individually rather than deriving from a rule.

In use · En uso

  • Hay un problema con el carro.
    There is a problem with the car.
  • Hay dos libros en la mesa.
    There are two books on the table. (hay does not become plural)
  • ¿Hay un baño por aquí?
    Is there a bathroom around here?
  • No hay leche.
    There isn't any milk.
  • Hay que estudiar para el examen.
    You have to study for the exam.
  • Había mucha gente en la playa.
    There were a lot of people at the beach.
  • Hubo un accidente en la autopista.
    There was an accident on the highway.
  • Mañana habrá clases.
    There will be classes tomorrow.
  • Va a haber una fiesta el sábado.
    There is going to be a party on Saturday.
  • Ya he comido, gracias.
    I have already eaten, thank you.

Used in lessons · Usado en lecciones

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