The Animated Book
of SpanishGrammar Reference

Hay: There Is and There Are

Adapted from The Animated Book of Spanish, an interactive Spanish grammar book.

Hay means there is and there are. It's a form of the verb haber, and it's one of the most useful words in Spanish.

  • Hay un problema.

    There’s a problem.

  • Hay muchos turistas en verano.

    There are a lot of tourists in the summer.

  • ¿Hay un baño por aquí?

    Is there a bathroom around here?

On this page

One word for is and are

English switches between there is and there are. Spanish doesn't: hay works for one thing or many.

  1. There is
    Hay un gato en el jardín.

    There’s a cat in the yard.

    There are
    Hay dos gatos en el jardín.

    There are two cats in the yard.

  2. There is
    Hay una farmacia cerca.

    There’s a pharmacy nearby.

    There are
    Hay varias farmacias cerca.

    There are several pharmacies nearby.

What comes after hay

After hay, you'll find un or una, a number, a word like mucho or algún, or a noun on its own. You won't find el, la, or mi: those point to something specific, which takes estar instead.

  • Hay leche en la nevera.

    There’s milk in the fridge.

  • Hoy hay mucha gente en la playa.

    There are a lot of people at the beach today.

  • ¿Hay alguna pregunta?

    Are there any questions?

  • No hay nadie en casa.

    There’s nobody home.

Hay or está?

Both can come out as is in English. Use hay to say that something exists, usually something new to the conversation. Use estar to say where a specific thing is, one you already know about.

  1. Hay: something exists
    ¿Hay un banco por aquí?

    Is there a bank around here?

    Está: where a specific thing is
    ¿Dónde está el banco?

    Where’s the bank?

  2. Hay: something exists
    Hay una farmacia en la esquina.

    There’s a pharmacy on the corner.

    Está: where a specific thing is
    La farmacia está en la esquina.

    The pharmacy is on the corner.

  3. Hay: something exists
    Hay muchos libros en la mesa.

    There are a lot of books on the table.

    Está: where a specific thing is
    Mis libros están en la mesa.

    My books are on the table.

Había, hubo, habrá

Hay has a form in every tense, and it always stays singular, even with a plural noun.

Hay in other tenses
TenseFormMeaning
Presenthaythere is, there are
Imperfecthabíathere was, there were
Preteritehubothere was, there were
Futurehabráthere will be
Near futureva a haberthere’s going to be
Present perfectha habidothere has been, there have been

  • Había mucha gente en la fiesta.

    There were a lot of people at the party.

  • Anoche hubo un accidente en la autopista.

    There was an accident on the highway last night.

  • Mañana habrá tormentas.

    There will be storms tomorrow.

  • Va a haber problemas.

    There are going to be problems.

Hay que: you have to

Hay que + an infinitive means you have to or one must, for things that apply to everyone. It doesn't say who.

  • Hay que estudiar para aprobar.

    You have to study to pass.

  • Para entrar, hay que mostrar el pasaporte.

    To get in, you have to show your passport.

  • No hay que pagar.

    You don’t have to pay.

Common mistakes English speakers make

  1. Using hay with el or la

    Incorrect:Hay el banco en la esquina.
    Correct:El banco está en la esquina.

    For a specific thing, say where it is with estar.

  2. Using estar for “there is”

    Incorrect:Está un problema.
    Correct:Hay un problema.

    To say something exists, use hay.

  3. Making había plural

    Incorrect:Habían muchas personas.
    Correct:Había muchas personas.

    Hay stays singular in every tense. You'll hear habían in casual speech, but había is correct.

  4. Making va a haber plural

    Incorrect:Van a haber problemas.
    Correct:Va a haber problemas.

    Singular here too, even with a plural noun.

  5. Using hay que for one person

    Incorrect:Hay que yo trabaje.
    Correct:Tengo que trabajar.

    Hay que doesn't say who. For a specific person, use tener que.

Questions about hay

What does hay mean in Spanish?

"There is" or "there are." It comes from the verb haber: Hay un problema ("There's a problem"), Hay dos gatos ("There are two cats").

Is hay singular or plural?

Both. Hay never changes: hay un libro, hay muchos libros. The same goes for every tense: había, hubo, habrá stay singular too.

What is the difference between hay and está?

Use hay to say that something exists, usually something new to the conversation: Hay un banco en la esquina. Use estar to say where a specific thing is: El banco está en la esquina. After hay, you won't see el or la.

What is the past tense of hay?

Había for descriptions and background (Había mucha gente, "There were a lot of people"), and hubo for events that happened (Hubo un accidente, "There was an accident").

What does hay que mean?

"You have to" or "one must," for things everyone has to do: Hay que estudiar ("You have to study"). For a specific person, use tener que: Tengo que estudiar.

Next upNegativesNo, nada, nadie, nunca, double negatives, tampoco, ni, and ningún.

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