Hay: there is, there are
Hay comes from the verb haber. It means both "there is" and "there are", and it never changes for singular or plural.
- Hay un banco en esta calle. — There is a bank on this street.
- Hay dos bancos en esta calle. — There are two banks on this street.
- ¿Hay leche? — Is there any milk?
- No hay problema. — There's no problem.
Hay introduces something new: you are saying that it exists or can be found somewhere.
What comes after hay
| After hay | Example |
|---|---|
| un / una / unos / unas | Hay una farmacia cerca. |
| a number | Hay tres sillas. |
| mucho, poco, algún, varios | Hay muchos turistas. |
| a noun without article | ¿Hay pan? / No hay tiempo. |
Hay is not used with el, la, los, las, possessives (mi, tu) or names.
Estar: where a known thing is
Use estar to say where a specific, already known thing or person is. It agrees with the subject.
| After / before estar | Example |
|---|---|
| el / la / los / las + noun | La farmacia está en la plaza. |
| possessive + noun | Mis llaves están en la mesa. |
| a name or pronoun | Carlos está en casa. / Tú estás aquí. |
Compare
| Something new: hay | Something specific: estar |
|---|---|
| ¿Hay un supermercado por aquí? — Is there a supermarket around here? | ¿Dónde está el supermercado? — Where is the supermarket? |
| Hay unos niños en el parque. — There are some children in the park. | Los niños están en el parque. — The children are in the park. |
| En mi calle hay un bar. — There is a bar on my street. | El bar está en mi calle. — The bar is on my street. |
Hay que + infinitive
Hay que + infinitive means "one has to / you have to" as a general, impersonal obligation, with no specific person:
- Hay que pagar en la caja. — You have to pay at the till.
- Hay que reservar mesa. — You need to book a table.
For a specific person, use tener que: Tengo que pagar. — I have to pay.
Watch out as an English speaker
- Plural "there are" is still hay. ✗ Han dos bancos. / ✗ Hayan dos bancos. / ✓ Hay dos bancos.
- Don't translate "there is" word by word. ✗ Allí es un banco. / ✗ Está un banco aquí. / ✓ Hay un banco aquí.
- "The" + location needs estar. English says "there's the station"; Spanish won't use hay with el/la. ✗ Hay el hospital en la calle Mayor. / ✓ El hospital está en la calle Mayor.
- "Is there any..." has no "any". ✗ ¿Hay algún pan? / ✓ ¿Hay pan?
Example dialogue
Perdone, ¿hay un cajero automático por aquí? — Excuse me, is there a cash machine around here?
Sí, hay uno en la plaza, al lado del banco. — Yes, there's one on the square, next to the bank.
¿Y dónde está la plaza? — And where is the square?
Está al final de esta calle. Hay que girar a la derecha. — It's at the end of this street. You have to turn right.