The Ultimate Guide to 'Hay' in Spanish: There is / There are

Table of Contents

• The One Spanish Word You Need to Talk About... Anything!
• The Magic of `Hay`: One Form to Rule Them All
• How to Build Sentences with `Hay`
• Asking Questions: Is There...? Are There...?
• `Hay` Beyond the Present: Past & Future Tenses
  • The Past: `Había` vs. `Hubo`
  • The Future: `Habrá`
• The #1 Mistake: `Hay` vs. `Está` / `Están`
• You've Mastered `Hay`!

The One Spanish Word You Need to Talk About... Anything!

Ever tried to point something out in a new city? "Look, there's a cool café!" or ask for help, "Is there a bathroom around here?"

In English, we juggle "there is" and "there are." In Spanish, you get a beautiful, simple shortcut. Meet your new best friend: hay.

This tiny, two-letter word is a powerhouse. It means both "there is" and "there are," and it's your go-to for talking about the existence of things.

In this guide, we'll unlock everything you need to know about haythere is / there are. We'll cover:

• How to use it for singular and plural nouns (it's easier than you think!)
• How to use it in the past and future tenses.
• How to ask questions with hay.
• The #1 most common mistake learners make (and how to avoid it).

Let's get started!

The Magic of Hay: One Form to Rule Them All

Here's the best news you'll hear all day: in the present tense, hay never changes. It doesn't matter if you're talking about one thing or one hundred things. It's always just hay.

• Hay un problemaproblem. (There is one problem.)
• Hay cinco problemasproblems. (There are five problems.)

No conjugations to memorize, no plural forms to worry about. It’s that simple. Learners sometimes try to make it plural by saying "hays", but that's a mistake.

How to Build Sentences with Hay

The basic structure is straightforward:

Hay + [thing or things]

You'll typically use hay with indefinite articles (un, una, unos, unas), numbers, or words that express quantity (mucho, poco, algunos).

Here are a few examples:

• Hay un perrodog en el parque. (There is a dog in the park.)
• Hay una libreríabookstore cerca de aquí. (There is a bookstore near here.)
• Hay tres opcionesoptions. (There are three options.)
• Hay mucha gentepeople en la playa. (There are a lot of people at the beach.)

Ready to build a sentence yourself?

Asking Questions: Is There...? Are There...?

Turning a hay statement into a question is incredibly easy. You just raise the intonation of your voice and add question marks in writing.

• Statement: Hay un hotel aquí cerca. (There is a hotel nearby.)
• Question: ¿Hay un hotel aquí cerca? (Is there a hotel nearby?)

To ask "what" or "how many," just add the question word at the beginning:

• ¿Qué hay en la mesa? (What is on the table?)
• ¿Cuántos estudiantes hay en la clase? (How many students are there in the class?)

Hay Beyond the Present: Past & Future Tenses

Of course, we don't only talk about what exists right now. Hay comes from the verb haber, and it has forms for other tenses, too. While hay is used to state existence, a similar structure, hay que, is used for expressing general obligations.

Tense	Spanish Form	English Translation	When to Use
Present	hay	there is / there are	Talking about existence now.
Imperfect	había	there was / there were	Describing a scene or ongoing situation in the imperfect tense.
Preterite	hubo	there was / there were	Mentioning a specific, completed event in the preterite tense.
Future	habrá	there will be	Talking about what will exist in the future.
Conditional	habría	there would be	Talking about what would exist under certain conditions.

The Past: Había vs. Hubo

This is the trickiest part, but you've got this. Both mean "there was/were," but they're used in different contexts. Differentiating between them is a core skill, much like mastering the broader preterite vs. imperfect distinction.

1. Había (Imperfect): For Descriptions & Scenes Use había to set the scene or describe what a situation was like.

   • Cuando era niño, había un gran árbol en mi jardín. (When I was a child, there was a big tree in my yard.)
   • Había mucha gente en la fiesta y la música estaba muy alta. (There were a lot of people at the party and the music was very loud.)

2. Hubo (Preterite): For Specific Events Use hubo when something "happened" or "took place." It signals a specific event at a specific time.

   • Anoche hubo un accidente en la autopista. (Last night there was an accident on the highway.)
   • Hubo un problema con la reserva. (There was a problem with the reservation.)

The Future: Habrá

This one is simple. If you want to say "there will be," use habrá.

• Mañana habrá una reunión importante. (Tomorrow there will be an important meeting.)
• No te preocupes, habrá suficiente comida para todos. (Don't worry, there will be enough food for everyone.)

The #1 Mistake: Hay vs. Está / Están

This is a classic mix-up for Spanish learners. Both hay and estar can involve location, but they answer different questions. It's one of the key differences to learn, similar to the foundational concept of ser vs. estar.

• Hay answers "DOES IT EXIST?" Use it to mention something for the first time.
• Está/Están answers "WHERE IS IT?" Use it to state the location of a specific noun that you and the listener already know about.

Rule of Thumb:

• Use hay with indefinite articles (un, una) and numbers.
• Use está/están with definite articles (el, la, los, las) and proper names.

You know your keys exist, you're asking for their specific location, so you need están.

Here, you're mentioning the existence of a pharmacy, not a specific one. If you then said, "The pharmacy is next to the bank," you would use está: La farmacia está al lado del banco.

You've Mastered Hay!

Congratulations! You've just learned one of the most useful and common words in the entire Spanish language.

Let's recap the key points:

• Hay means "there is" AND "there are."
• It never changes in the present tense.
• Use había for past descriptions and hubo for past events.
• Use habrá for the future.
• Use hay for existence and está/están for the location of specific things.

Keep practicing, and soon using hay will be completely natural. You can find more examples in context by reading our A1-level Spanish stories. Keep up the amazing work on your Spanish journey!