there was there were

Question

other than habia how can you say there was/there were

Silvia Píriz · Accepted Answer

Hola Karen G.
Había is the most common way to say "there was" and "there were" in the past:
Había un libro en la mesa. (There was a book on the table.)
Había muchas personas en la fiesta. (There were many people at the party.)
You may also come across other past forms of haber, depending on the timeframe:

Hubo = there was/there were (referring to a completed event or occurrence)

Hubo un accidente ayer. (There was an accident yesterday.)

Ha habido = there has been/there have been

Ha habido muchos cambios.  (There have been many changes.)

Habrá = there will be

Habrá una reunión mañana.  (There will be a meeting tomorrow.)
For your level, it's best to focus on había as the standard way to express "there was" and "there were" in descriptions and background information. Later lessons will introduce the other forms and explain when they are used.
I hope that helps!
Silvia