Hay and Está
A1Ser, estar, hay, gustar 5 min
Hay says that something exists in a place; está and están say where a known thing is. Hay goes with un / una or a number, and está with el / la or a proper name: Hay un banco en la plaza. El banco está en la plaza.
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CheatsheetA1
| Point | Rule | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| hay | un / una / unos, a number, mucho / poco | Hay una farmacia cerca. | There's a chemist's nearby. |
| hay | a plural or uncountable noun alone | Hay pan en la mesa. | There's bread on the table. |
| está | el / la / mi / este, a proper name | Mi casa está cerca. | My house is nearby. |
| Number | está for one thing, están for several | Los niños están en el parque. | The children are in the park. |
| Question | hay to find something, dónde está for its place | ¿Hay un baño por aquí? / ¿Dónde está el baño? | Is there a toilet around here? / Where is the toilet? |
| Negative | no hay, usually without un / una | No hay leche. | There's no milk. |
| Trap | hay has one form for the singular and the plural | Hay muchos turistas. | There are lots of tourists. |
| Trap | a known thing takes está | El supermercado está en esta calle. | The supermarket is on this street. |
OverviewA1
- hay says that something exists in a place, often for the first time in the conversation. Hay un mercado los sábados. — There's a market on Saturdays.
- estar says where a specific, known thing or person is. Tus llaves están en la mesa. — Your keys are on the table.
- The other uses of estar: Ser and Estar.
Form: hayA1
| Form | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| Statement | Hay un banco en la esquina. | There's a bank on the corner. |
| Question | ¿Hay un baño por aquí? | Is there a toilet around here? |
| Negative | No hay farmacia en este barrio. | There's no chemist's in this area. |
- hay has one form for the singular and the plural: Hay un gato. / Hay dos gatos. — There's a cat. / There are two cats.
- A negative with hay usually leaves out un and una.
Use: hay or estáA1
| Point | hay | está / están |
|---|---|---|
| Job | says that something exists | says where a known thing is |
| Before the noun | un / una / unos / unas, a number, mucho / poco, or nothing | el / la / los / las, mi / tu / este, or a proper name |
| One | Hay un parque cerca. — There's a park nearby. | El parque está cerca. — The park is nearby. |
| Several | Hay dos parques cerca. — There are two parks nearby. | Los parques están cerca. — The parks are nearby. |
| Question | ¿Hay un cajero por aquí? — Is there a cash machine around here? | ¿Dónde está el cajero? — Where is the cash machine? |
| A name | Hay una ciudad en la costa. — There's a city on the coast. | Lima está en la costa. — Lima is on the coast. |
- A plural or uncountable noun after hay often stands alone, with no article: Hay pan en la mesa. / Hay turistas en la playa. — There's bread on the table. / There are tourists on the beach.
Typical errorsA1
| ✗ | ✓ | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Hay el banco en la plaza. | El banco está en la plaza. | a known thing takes está |
| ¿Dónde hay el baño? | ¿Dónde está el baño? | dónde with a known thing takes está |
| Están dos bancos en la plaza. | Hay dos bancos en la plaza. | a number takes hay |
| Es una farmacia cerca. | Hay una farmacia cerca. | something that exists in a place takes hay |
| Hay no leche. | No hay leche. | no goes before hay: “there is no milk” is no hay leche |