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haberla

ah-behr-lah

ContractionB1irregular (auxiliary/impersonal) er

to have it?referring to a feminine noun,to be it?when 'haber' is used impersonally

Also:must have it?Often follows 'deber' or 'tener que'

Quick Reference

infinitivehaber

gerundhabiendo

past Participlehabido

📝 In Action

Tienes que haberla visto. Es una película increíble.

You have to have seen it. It's an incredible movie. (Referring to 'la película')

No podemos haberla encontrado si no estaba allí.

We couldn't have found it if it wasn't there. (Referring to 'la llave' or similar)

Es posible haberla comprado más barata en otro sitio.

It's possible to have bought it cheaper somewhere else.

Word Connections

Synonyms

tenerla (to have it (ownership))

Common Collocations

Debe haberla – It must exist/It must be that way
Podemos haberla usado – We can have used it

Idioms & Expressions

Habérselas con alguien – To have a confrontation or argument with someone (Note: requires 'se')

💡 Grammar Points

Pronoun Attachment

When the verb is in the infinitive form, the object pronoun ('la' in this case) sticks directly onto the end, forming a single word.

Function as 'Auxiliary'

The verb 'haber' often acts as a helper verb here, usually working with a past participle (like 'visto' or 'comprado') to create a complex action.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Misplacing the Pronoun

Mistake: "La tienes que haber visto."

Correction: Tienes que haberla visto. (While putting 'la' before the conjugated verb is also correct, attaching it to the infinitive is the structure defined by 'haberla'.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Stress Shift

When you attach a pronoun (like 'la') to a two-syllable infinitive (like 'haber'), the stress shifts to the last syllable of the infinitive, so you must add an accent mark: 'haber' becomes 'haberla'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: haberla

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'haberla'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

haber(to have (auxiliary); there to be) - verb

la(her; it (feminine)) - pronoun

habérselas(to have it out with someone) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'haberla' one word, but in English, 'to have it' is three?

Spanish grammar often requires object pronouns (like 'la') to stick directly onto the end of the infinitive verb form, making them inseparable. This process is called 'enclisis' and is a key difference from English.

Does 'haberla' mean the same as 'tenerla'?

Not exactly. 'Tenerla' usually means 'to possess it' (ownership). 'Haberla' is almost always part of a complex verbal phrase (like 'must have done it' or 'could have seen it') where 'haber' acts as a necessary helper verb, not an independent verb of ownership.