habían
“habían” means “had” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
had
📝 In Action
Cuando llegué a la fiesta, mis amigos ya se habían ido.
B1When I got to the party, my friends had already left.
Ellos habían estudiado mucho antes del examen.
B1They had studied a lot before the exam.
Ustedes nunca habían visto una película tan buena.
B1You all had never seen such a good movie.
Word Connections
there were
📝 In Action
En la fiesta habían muchas personas que no conocía.
A2At the party, there were many people I didn't know.
Habían tres gatos durmiendo en el sofá.
A2There were three cats sleeping on the sofa.
Antes, en este pueblo habían solo dos tiendas.
B1Before, in this town there were only two stores.
Word Connections
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: habían
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'habían' to talk about an action that happened *before* another past action?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology
Comes from the Latin verb 'habēbant', which was the third-person plural imperfect form of 'habēre', meaning 'to have' or 'to hold'.
First recorded: Evolved in Old Spanish from its Latin root.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'había' and 'habían'?
'Había' can mean 'he/she/it had' or 'there was/were'. 'Habían' means 'they/you all had'. You'll also very commonly hear 'habían' used to mean 'there were' for multiple items, especially in conversation, even though some grammar books recommend using 'había' for everything.
Can I use 'habían' by itself?
Almost never. When it means 'had', 'habían' is a helper verb and needs another verb with it (like 'comido', 'visto', 'hecho') to make sense, as in 'ellos habían comido' (they had eaten). The only time it stands alone is when it's used to mean 'there were'.
Is it wrong to say 'habían' for 'there were'?
It's not 'wrong' in the sense that millions of native speakers say it every day and it's perfectly understood. However, it's considered non-standard in formal writing and on grammar exams, where 'había' is the preferred form.