FAM: Lesson - Hay: There is/There are

A group of trees and rocks.Hay: There is/There are

Hay is an impersonal form of the verb haber (to be, to have). Impersonal means that it never changes no matter the gender or number of the noun that follows it. So, you can forget for a while about gender and number agreement, and the conjugation endings and learn the easy part: this is one verb that never changes its form!

At its core, the verb hay expresses the existence of something or a set of things: hay tells us there is or there are. Consider the picture to the right. We could say:

  • There is a tall tree in the middle of the picture.
  • There are several rocks.

Ejemplos de hay

Let's look at a few examples of the verb hay in Spanish:

  • Hay un estudiante en la clase de español.
    • There is one student in Spanish class.
  • Hay diez estudiantes en la clase de español.
    • There are ten students in Spanish class.

In the sentences above we used hay with both a singular noun (un estudiante) and a plural noun (diez estudiantes). Notice how the number (singular or plural) of the noun determines how we translate hay - if it is singular (un estudiante), we translate There is but when we have a plural noun or multiple nouns (diez estudiantes), we translate There are.

For plural nouns, the number does not have to be known exactly. We can use hay even when the exact number of something is unknown. For example, I could also say:

  • Hay estudiantes en la clase de español.
    • There are students in Spanish class.
  • Hay unos estudiantes en la clase de español.
    • There are some students in Spanish class.

Using Hay to Ask a Question

Now that we have the basic rules understood, let's see how hay functions in a question.

  • ¿Hay diez estudiantes en la clase de español? - Are there ten students in Spanish class?
    • Possible answers:
      • YES: Sí, hay diez estudiantes en la clase de español.
      • NO: No, no hay diez estudiantes en la clase de español.
  • ¿Hay un libro rojo en la clase de español? - Is there a red book in Spanish class?
    • Possible answers:
      • YES: Sí, hay un libro rojo en la clase de español.
      • NO: No, no hay un libro rojo en la clase de español.

Video Lesson

A notebook and pen with ¡Toma apuntes! written on it.Let´s use this short video lesson to learn how to use hay in a sentence and when we need to ask questions.

Turn on your speakers. Remember, necesitas el cuaderno, el lápiz para (to) tomar apuntes and maybe una manzana (optional)

Video credit: Maestro Kaplan

A stick note with La actividad de práctica written on it.

Practice Activity

Instead of using a short quiz here, we're going to do something a bit different!

Get out your notebook with your Spanish notes. Open it to a fresh page, then take a look around you. Make a list of the school supplies that you can see or have nearby. Using the verb hay, write out as many sentences as you can to list your supplies. Can you come up with 10 items?

Your list may begin:

  • Hay un cuaderno.
  • Hay dos lápices.
  • Etc.

After you have listed your supplies, see if you can create five questions about your supplies, again using the verb hay. Answer your questions as well.

As an example, you may ask:

  • ¿Hay una mochila?
  • Answer: Sí, hay una mochila. (or: No, no hay una mochila.)

This practice is something you can do anytime. As we continue to learn new vocabulary for familiar things in your life, come back to how the verb hay can be used. An exercise like this, done regularly, is a great way to return to previous vocabulary, as well (like school supplies from the previous module!).

If you are struggling to come up with ideas, be sure to contact tu profesor o tu profesora.

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