Hay literally is to have

TerryA0Kwiziq community member

Hay literally is to have

Why use the English translation there is or are,  when hay literally means to have? I would rather think of haber means to have in English. Its too confusing to use there is or there are for translating a Spanish verb that actually means to have. Thank you!

Asked 3 years ago
ClaraC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Hi Terry,

I think you may have confused your definition of 'hay' with something else. 

Hay does in fact mean 'there is' or 'there are'.

Saludos :)

EliasA0Kwiziq community member

Not necessarily,  I mean hay does mean there is there are but also to have  so guys are are both right

Profe GonzalezC1Kwiziq community member

Haber means 'there is' / 'there are'. It means 'to have' ONLY in the perfect tenses when it is acting as an auxiliary verb. In those instances the conjugated form of haber is followed by the past participle (another verb ending in -ado/ido). For ex. Hemos estudiado la leccion = we have studied the lesson (Present Perfect) / Hubieramos comprado los pasajes la semana pasada = We should have bought the tickets last week (Past Perfect Subjunctive), etc.

Hay literally is to have

Why use the English translation there is or are,  when hay literally means to have? I would rather think of haber means to have in English. Its too confusing to use there is or there are for translating a Spanish verb that actually means to have. Thank you!

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your Spanish level for FREE

Test your Spanish to the CEFR standard

Find your Spanish level
Let me take a look at that...