The Stunning Approach To Say ‘There Is’ in Spanish
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To say “there may be” and “there are” in Spanish, you simply have to say hay, pronounced like “eye” in English. It’s surprisingly easy. This one phrase may also simply be utilized in a query: ¿Hay…? (is there?/are there?)
Hay is an impersonal type of haber (one of many extra frequent irregular verbs in Spanish). It’s a robust solution to describe environment and ask vital questions. Study hay together with Spanish query phrases and customary Spanish proverbs to supercharge your communication.
What does hay imply?
Hay is a robust phrase to know in Spanish, as a result of it encompasses what it takes 4 phrases to say in English. Hay means:
- There’s…
- There are…
- Is there…?
- Are there…?
Because of this whenever you’re translating sentences like “there are three pencils,” you received’t want to decide on between ser and estar for the phrase “are.” It’s already included! Simply use hay with a mix of Spanish articles and Spanish nouns and also you’re in your solution to describing something and all the things in your environment.
Listed below are some phrases you may hear in a classroom to speak about what’s round you or to ask “is there?” in Spanish.
- Hay veinte estudiantes en la clase. = There are twenty college students within the class.
- Hay una nueva profesora. = There’s a brand new instructor.
- ¿Hay tarea? = Is there any homework?
- ¿Hay preguntas? = Are there questions?
Add Spanish query phrases to ask extra detailed questions.
- ¿Cuántos libros hay en tu mochila? = How many books are there in your backpack?
- ¿Dónde hay una farmacia abierta? = The place is there an open pharmacy?
- ¿Qué hay en la caja? = What’s there within the field?
- ¿Por qué hay tanto ruido? = Why is there a lot noise?
Situations excellent for utilizing hay to say ‘there may be’
It truly is surprisingly easy, however English learners typically have bother remembering the phrase hay. It’s useful to see the phrase in a number of contexts to solidify your understanding.
To debate the climate
Although different verbs like hacer (to do/to make) and estar (to be) show you how to describe the climate typically, you may as well construction some sentences with hay.
- Hay mucho viento. = There’s quite a lot of wind.
- Hay niebla. = There’s fog.
- Hay más tormentas en invierno que antes. = There are extra storms within the winter than earlier than.
- Hay mucha nieve aquí. = There’s quite a lot of snow right here.
To explain the place you reside
Along with telling what there may be, you possibly can focus on what’s lacking by utilizing no hay (there isn’t/there aren’t)
- En mi comunidad hay parques y hay oportunidades de recreo, pero no hay estadios grandes. = In my neighborhood, there are parks and there are alternatives for recreation, however there aren’t huge stadiums.
- Hay un hospital pequeño cerca de la escuela. = There’s a small hospital close to the college.
- No hay grafiti en los edificios porque te multan. = There isn’t any graffiti on the buildings as a result of they high-quality you.
To inform individuals what’s obtainable
In case you have company, you can provide them a fast tour of the place they’ll discover the issues they could want.
- Hay pan en la cocina. = There’s bread within the kitchen.
- Aquí en este armario hay toallas adicionales. = Right here on this closet there are extra towels.
- Hay una silla para cada persona, ¿sí? = There’s a chair for every particular person, proper?
- En la casa hay tres dormitorios y un baño. = In the home there are three bedrooms and one lavatory.
When to not use hay in Spanish
Whereas the phrase hay can be utilized for numerous English phrases and phrases, there are some situations when you possibly can’t use it. Keep away from complicated it with similar-sounding phrases and bear in mind to not use it whenever you exclaim “there it’s!”
Once you imply to say ay or ahí as a substitute
The pronunciation of ahí (there) and allí (there, additional away) could also be difficult at first for English audio system, and in addition varies with regional accents. Rosetta Stone’s TruAccent speech recognition engine might help you kind the sounds accurately from the start. Generally even native Spanish audio system want a fast lesson about phrases that sound alike. Take note you may additionally hear:
- ¡Ay! (Ow/Oh!), an interjection of shock, ache, or sorrow.
- Ahí (there), a phrase that demonstrates a location at a medium distance.
Once you wish to say ‘there it’s’ in Spanish
If you’re looking for one thing, you may exclaim, “there it’s!” or “there they’re!” in Spanish whenever you lastly discover what you’re in search of.
The addition of the tiny little phrase “it” adjustments this sentence in Spanish completely, so that you don’t use hay. Pure methods to precise this would come with the verb estar (to be).
| Spanish | English | Clarification |
| ¡ahí está! | There it’s! | Singular noun, at a medium distance. |
| ¡ahí están! | There they’re! | Plural noun, at a medium distance. |
| ¡allí está! | There it’s! | Singular noun, at an extra distance. |
| ¡allí están! | There they’re! | Plural noun, at an extra distance. |
| ¡aquí está! | Right here it’s! | Singular noun, near speaker. |
| ¡aquí están! | Right here they’re! | Plural noun, near speaker. |
Spanish phrases with hay
Studying proverbs, sayings, idiomatic expressions, and Spanish phrases could be a good way to recollect constructions that differ from English. Attempt these out subsequent time you’re in dialog to wow native audio system together with your data of hay.
| Spanish | English Literal Translation | English Which means |
| A buen hambre no hay pan duro. | To an excellent starvation, there is no such thing as a stale bread. | Beggars can’t be choosers. In case you’re actually in want, you’re taking what you will get. |
| A buen sueño no hay mala cama | To an excellent “sleepiness,” there isn’t a foul mattress. | Much like above, you’re taking what you will get with out complaining. |
| Aquí hay gato encerrado. | Right here there’s a closed-in cat. | One thing is “fishy”/doesn’t appear proper. |
| Del dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho. | From what’s mentioned to what’s carried out there’s a giant distance. | Simpler mentioned than carried out. |
| No hay mal que dure cien años. | There isn’t any dangerous factor/evil that lasts 100 years. | This too shall move. |
| No hay mal que por bien no venga. | There isn’t any dangerous factor that doesn’t come on your good. | All the pieces occurs for a motive. |
Key takeaways about hay in Spanish
Hay cuatro cosas aprendidas (There are 4 takeaways):
- Hay could be adopted by both singular or plural phrases, translated as each “there may be” and “there are” in English.
- ¿Hay…? expresses the query “is there?” or “are there?” in Spanish and may mix with different Spanish query phrases.
- The phrase hay is flexible and customary, so use it to explain what there may be in your room, your property, your neighborhood, your nation, and past.
- No matter you do, don’t pronounce it like “hey” in English. Keep in mind the “h” is silent and discover extra makes use of of hay with Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion technique.

