he
“he” means “I have” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
I have
📝 In Action
He terminado mi tarea.
A2I have finished my homework.
Nunca he visitado España.
A2I have never visited Spain.
¿He dicho algo malo?
B1Have I said something wrong?
here is / here are
Also: behold
📝 In Action
He aquí la solución a nuestro problema.
B2Here is the solution to our problem.
He ahí el detalle que no consideramos.
C1There is the detail that we didn't consider.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: he
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'he' to talk about a past action?
📚 More Resources
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb 'habere', which meant 'to have' or 'to hold'. The 'yo' form was 'habeo', which over centuries shortened and softened in Spanish to become 'he'.
First recorded: Evolved from Vulgar Latin, present in the earliest forms of Spanish.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the 'h' in 'he' silent?
In Spanish, the letter 'h' is almost always silent. It's a holdover from Latin words that used to have an 'f' sound, which softened over time and eventually disappeared in pronunciation, even though the letter remained in writing.
Can I say 'yo he comido'?
Yes, you absolutely can! Adding 'yo' is not necessary because 'he' can only mean 'I have', but it's very common to add 'yo' for emphasis or clarity. Both 'He comido' and 'Yo he comido' are perfectly correct.
What's the difference between 'He estado' and 'Fui'?
Great question! 'He estado' (I have been) talks about an experience in a time period that isn't finished yet (like 'this week' or 'in my life'). 'Fui' (I was/I went) talks about a completed action in a finished time period (like 'yesterday' or 'last year').