Spanish verbs “haber” and “estar” have similar uses when it comes to indicating the presence of a person or thing. However, there are some subtle differences between those two verbs that cause problems to students of Spanish. In this article you will learn when to use each verb and how to use them correctly in a sentence.
“Hay” is used to talk about the mere existence of a person or thing, whereas “estar” indicates the location of something or someone mentioned before.
Hay un bar nuevo en la calle. (There is a new bar in the street.)
Está en la calle Sueca. (It is on Sueca Street.)
We use “hay” to talk about the existence of something indefinite and “estar” to talk about a situation of something specific. Compare:
En Valencia hay muchos museos. (There are many museums in Valencia.)
El Museo del Bellas Artes está en Valencia. (The Museum of Fine Arts is in Valencia.)
¿Dónde hay una panadería? (Where is a bakery?)
¿Dónde está la panadería de tu tía? (Where is your aunt’s bakery?)
Grammatical rules for using “haber” and “estar”
“Hay” can be followed by both singular and plural nouns and the form of the verb doesn’t change:
Hay un colegio en el pueblo. (There’s a school in the village.)
En este pueblo hay tres supermercados. (In this village there are three supermarkets.)
“Estar” changes its form according to the noun:
Correos está en la plaza. (singular + está) The post office is in the square.
Los restaurantes están en el centro. (plural + están) The restaurants are in the center.
Another thing to bear in mind are the articles. With “hay” we use indefinite articles un/una/uno or no article at all.
¿Hay leche? En este edificio hay dos oficinas. Hay un plato en la mesa. Hay un paquete para ti.
With “estar”, on the other hand, we use definite articles el/la/los/las or possessive pronouns mi/tu/su,…
El pan está en la despensa. Perdone, ¿está la calle Cádiz por aquí? ¿Dónde está mi bolso? Está en tu habitación.
With nouns that don’t have a location, we have to use the verb “haber”.
No había problema. (There was no problem.)
To practise Spanish verbs “haber” and “estar” click here. and remember that in our Spanish courses you’ll learn this and much more. Sign up here and start increasing your Spanish level today!
