hubo
/OO-boh/
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Hubo un problema con el coche.
A2There was a problem with the car.
Hubo muchas personas en el concierto.
A2There were a lot of people at the concert.
El año pasado hubo una gran tormenta.
B1Last year there was a big storm.
No hubo tiempo para despedirse.
B1There wasn't time to say goodbye.
💡 Grammar Points
One Word for 'There Was' & 'There Were'
In English, you switch between 'was' and 'were'. In Spanish, you always use hubo, whether you're talking about one thing or a million things. It never changes!
The 'Event' Verb: Hubo vs. Había
Use hubo for events that happened at a specific point and are now over (like a party, an accident, a meeting). Use había to describe a scene or an ongoing situation in the past (like what the weather was like, or what was in a room).
❌ Common Pitfalls
The 'Hubieron' Mistake
Mistake: "Hubieron tres coches en el accidente."
Correction: Hubo tres coches en el accidente. `Hubo` is special and doesn't become plural, even when talking about multiple things.
⭐ Usage Tips
Think 'It Took Place'
A great mental trick is to replace 'there was/were' with 'it took place' or 'it occurred'. If that sounds right, hubo is your word. For example, 'A party took place last night' sounds good, so you'd use hubo.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: hubo
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly describes a specific event that happened last night?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
So I should NEVER use 'hubieron'?
Almost never. Technically, 'hubieron' is the form for 'they had' when 'haber' is used as a helping verb in a very old-fashioned literary tense. For saying 'there were,' it's considered incorrect in modern Spanish. It's safest to just always use `hubo`.
What is the simplest way to remember when to use `hubo` vs. `había`?
Think of it like a photo vs. a movie. `Hubo` is for a photo: a single, completed event ('There was a crash'). `Había` is for a movie: describing the scene as it was happening ('There were clouds in the sky and birds were singing').