In this lesson
One word, never changes
Hay (it sounds like "eye") means "there is" and "there are". One person, a hundred people: it's always hay.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| There is a bank. | Hay un banco. |
| There are two banks. | Hay dos bancos. |
| There are 100 people. | Hay cien personas. |
That's the number one rule from class: hay has no plural. Never hays, never han.
Hay
- Hay un banco cerca de aquí.There's a bank near here.
- Hay muchas personas.There are a lot of people.
- Hay tres restaurantes en mi calle.There are three restaurants on my street.
- En mi casa hay dos baños.There are two bathrooms in my house.
Asking with hay
Hay is the most useful word when you're traveling: you can ask for anything.
Questions
- ¿Hay un baño aquí?Is there a bathroom here?
- ¿Hay wifi?Is there wifi?
- ¿Dónde hay un cajero?Where is there an ATM?
- ¿Hay tacos de pastor?Do you have tacos al pastor?
- ¿Qué hay de comer?What is there to eat?
No hay
To say there isn't or there aren't, put no in front: no hay.
No hay
- No hay problema.No problem.
- No hay tiempo.There's no time.
- Hoy no hay clase.There's no class today.
- No hay de qué.You're welcome. (literally: there's nothing to thank for)
No hay is just no hay: no un, no ningún needed for now. No hay leche = there's no milk.
Hay or está?
This is the part that takes practice. Both can translate "is" when you talk about where things are, but they do different jobs:
| Use | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hay | something exists there: new information, with un, una, a number or no article | Hay un banco cerca. (There's a bank nearby.) |
| está | where a specific thing is: one you both know, with el, la, mi, a name | El banco está cerca. (The bank is nearby.) |
A quick test: un, una, unos, unas, a number or nothing → hay. El, la, los, las, mi, tu or a name → está (or están). It's the same estar for location you learned in the ser vs estar class.
Hay vs está
- Hay una farmacia en la esquina.There's a pharmacy on the corner.
- La farmacia está en la esquina.The pharmacy is on the corner.
- ¿Hay un Oxxo por aquí?Is there an Oxxo around here?
- ¿Dónde está el Oxxo?Where's the Oxxo?
- Mis llaves están en la mesa.My keys are on the table.
Oxxo is the convenience store on every corner in Mexico. You'll use ¿hay un Oxxo por aquí? more than you think.
Where: words to go with hay
| aquí | here |
| allá | over there |
| cerca (de) | near |
| lejos (de) | far (from) |
| al lado de | next to |
| enfrente de | across from, in front of |
| en la esquina | on the corner |
Hay un café al lado del banco. Hay un parque enfrente de mi casa. (Remember: de + el = del.)
✍️ Quick check
0/3
1.___ dos baños en el restaurante. (There are two bathrooms.)
2.¿Dónde ___ el baño? (Where's the bathroom?)
3.___ un supermercado cerca. (There's a supermarket nearby.)
Common mistakes
✗Hays muchas personas.
✓Hay muchas personas.
Hay has no plural.
✗Hayan tres bancos.
✓Hay tres bancos.
Still hay: one word for everything.
✗Hay el banco en la esquina.
✓El banco está en la esquina.
El banco is a specific bank: está.
✗Está un banco cerca.
✓Hay un banco cerca.
Un banco, any bank: hay.
✗¿Es un baño aquí?
✓¿Hay un baño aquí?
To ask if something exists: hay.
✗Hay no leche.
✓No hay leche.
No goes before hay.
Put it together
Here's the sentence from class:
Hay un banco cerca de aquí.
- hay: there is, because it's un banco, any bank, new information
- cerca de aquí: near here
And now finding your way in a new neighborhood:
Disculpe, ¿hay un banco cerca de aquí?
Excuse me, is there a bank near here?
Sí, hay dos. Uno está en la esquina y otro está enfrente del parque.
Yes, there are two. One is on the corner and the other is across from the park.
¿Y hay una farmacia?
And is there a pharmacy?
Sí, la farmacia está al lado del banco.
Yes, the pharmacy is next to the bank.
Perfecto. ¿Hay restaurantes por aquí?
Perfect. Are there restaurants around here?
Hay muchos. Hay que probar los tacos de la esquina.
There are lots. You have to try the tacos on the corner.
¡Muchas gracias!
Thank you very much!
No hay de qué.
You're welcome.
Disculpe is the polite "excuse me" to a stranger (with usted).
Now make it yours: describe your street or your neighborhood. What is there? En mi calle hay… Cerca de mi casa hay… Then say where three specific places are with está.
Test yourself
✍️ Six quick questions
0/6
1.¿___ wifi en el hotel? (Is there wifi at the hotel?)
2.En mi clase ___ veinte estudiantes.
3.Mi casa ___ cerca del metro.
4."There's no time."
5.Hay que pagar en efectivo means…
6.Someone says ¡Gracias! You answer…
All the forms
Hay: the cheat sheet
| Spanish | |
|---|---|
| there is / there are | hay (never changes) |
| is there…? / are there…? | ¿hay…? |
| there isn't / there aren't | no hay |
| you have to… (in general) | hay que + verb |
| you're welcome | no hay de qué |
Hay or está? Un, una, unos, unas, a number, mucho or no article → hay (hay un banco). El, la, los, las, mi, tu or a name → está / están (el banco está aquí).
Hay comes from the verb haber. You'll meet its other forms (había, ha…) in A2.