había
/a-BEE-a/
We use 'había' to say 'there was' or 'there were,' setting the scene and describing what used to exist.
había (Verb)
📝 In Action
Había un gato en el techo.
A2There was a cat on the roof.
Había muchas nubes en el cielo.
A2There were many clouds in the sky.
En mi pueblo no había cine.
B1In my town, there wasn't a movie theater.
💡 Grammar Points
One Word for 'Was' and 'Were'
In English, you have to choose between 'there was' and 'there were'. Spanish makes it easy: 'había' works for both! It doesn't change, even if you're talking about a million things.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Saying 'Habían' for 'There were'
Mistake: "En la calle habían dos coches."
Correction: En la calle había dos coches. When you mean 'there was' or 'there were,' the verb always stays 'había'. It never becomes plural.
⭐ Usage Tips
Setting the Scene in a Story
Use 'había' to paint a picture of the past. It's perfect for describing what a place was like or what was happening in the background before the main action starts.
'Había' also works as a helper verb to say that someone 'had' already done something.
había (Verb (Auxiliary))
📝 In Action
Yo ya había comido cuando me llamaste.
B1I had already eaten when you called me.
Nunca habíamos visto una película tan buena.
B1We had never seen such a good movie.
Ella no sabía que su hermano ya se había ido.
B2She didn't know that her brother had already left.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Past of the Past'
Use 'había' (plus a verb like 'comido', 'visto', etc.) to talk about something that happened before another past event. It's like telling a story in layers.
Never Separated
In the phrase 'había comido' (had eaten), the two words 'había' and 'comido' always stick together. Don't put any other words, like 'no', in between them.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the Wrong Helper
Mistake: "Yo tuve comido antes de salir."
Correction: Yo había comido antes de salir. To say 'had done' something, the helper verb is always a form of 'haber' (like 'había'), never 'tener'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Adding Background to a Story
This is great for giving context. For example: 'I didn't go to the party (main event), because I had already made other plans (the reason, which happened first).'
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: había
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'había' to mean 'there were'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'había' and 'hubo'?
Think of it like this: 'había' sets the scene ('There were many people at the party'). It describes an ongoing situation in the past. 'Hubo' reports a specific, completed event ('There was an accident on the corner'). It's for things that happened and ended at a distinct point.
Why can't I say 'habían' for 'there were'?
It's a great question because it feels logical! But in Spanish, when 'haber' is used to mean 'there is/are/was/were', it acts in a special way and always stays in the singular form. So, it's 'había un coche' (there was one car) and 'había diez coches' (there were ten cars). The verb form doesn't change.
Can I use 'tenía' instead of 'había'?
'Tenía' means 'I had' (or he/she had) in the sense of possession ('Yo tenía un perro' - I had a dog). 'Había' is used for 'there was/were' ('Había un perro en la calle' - There was a dog in the street) or as the helper verb for 'had done' ('Yo había comido' - I had eaten).