3 Translation results for hay in Spanish
noun | verbo | verbo
heno
Example sentences of
hay noun- •their credit card debt isn't hay—it'll take years to pay it off
- •dragging myself out of the hay on such a cold, dreary morning seemed like an act of sheer masochism
- •their credit card debt isn't hay-it'll take years to pay it off
- Less
hay verbo
there is, there are
haber verbo
to have, has
Related phrases for hay
hit the hay - (informal, figurado) irse al sobre, irse al saco
Less
Reverse translation for hay
Log in to save words and track your progress
There is often confusion for English speakers when using hay and está. Let's see the difference:
The Spanish "hay"
Hay means "There is/there are". We use hay when we are talking or asking about the existence of something/someone.
Generally the order can present itself in two ways, here's the first:
Verb (Hay) + indefinite article (un/una) + noun + [somewhere]
For example:
Hay una farmacia en mi barrio.There is a chemist in my neighbourhood.
Here's the second way:
[Somewhere] + verb (hay) + indefinite article (un/una) + noun
For example:
En mi barrio hay una farmacia.In my neighbourhood there is a chemist.
You can use the plural definite articles unos/unas but very often we omit them as they are not necessary:
Hay (unos) bares en la plaza del pueblo.There are (some) bars in the village square.
The Spanish "está"
"Está" means "It is" and "están" means "They are". We use estar to locate things/people somewhere.
The general order of the sentences with estar is:
Definite article (el, la, los, las) +noun + verb (está/están) + somewhere
For example:
El parque está en la parte norte de la ciudad.The park is in the north part of the city.
La iglesia está al lado del colegio.The church is next to the school.
El bar de Miguel está en la esquina.Miguel's bar is on the corner.
Have a look at how we would use both hay and está in a simple conversation:
¿Hay un parque por aquí?Is there a park over here?
Sí, hay un parque cerca.Yes, there is a park nearby.
Someone is asking about the existence of a park nearby. Notice how after hay we use the indefinite article "un" (the same way in English the indefinite article "a" is used)
Once the speaker knows there is one, he/she asks where it is:
¿Dónde está el parque?Where is the park?
El parque está allí a la derecha.The park is there on the right.
Notice how now they are using "está" to locate it. Now they don't use the indefinite article "un/una" but the definite article "el/la" (the same way in English "the" is used)
Be careful when using "dónde hay..."instead of "dónde está..." as this can be confusing.
We sometimes use dónde + hay for a first question, even when we haven't yet discovered the location, because we are assuming that the place we are asking about does exist. For example:
Señora, por favor, ¿dónde hay una farmacia por aquí?Madam, please, where is there a pharmacy around here?
Notice that after hay there is still the indefinite article (una).
Don't forget the accent on está/están
See also:
- Using el or la to say "the" in Spanish (singular definite articles)
- Using los or las to say "the" in Spanish (plural definite articles)
- Using un, una to say a/an in Spanish (singular indefinite articles)
- Using unos, unas + plural nouns to say some / a few in Spanish (Artículo indefinido -plural)
- Using hay = there is / there are in Spanish
- Ser vs Estar in Spanish: Using estar in Spanish (not ser) when talking about locations
Video
You can also watch the video below with Gordon and Cynthia from Lightspeed Spanish explaining how hay and está works.
Want to make sure your Spanish sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Braimap today »
Sí, hay un parque cerca.Yes, there is a park nearby.
¿Dónde está el parque?Where is the park?
El parque está allí a la derecha.The park is there on the right.
Hay (unos) bares en la plaza del pueblo.There are (some) bars in the village square.
El bar de Miguel está en la esquina.Miguel's bar is on the corner.
Señora, por favor, ¿dónde hay una farmacia por aquí?Madam, please, where is there a pharmacy around here?
Hay una farmacia en mi barrio.There is a chemist in my neighbourhood.
En mi barrio hay una farmacia.In my neighbourhood there is a chemist.
¿Hay algún cine por aquí?Is there any cinema round here?
La iglesia está al lado del colegio.The church is next to the school.
El parque está en la parte norte de la ciudad.The park is in the north part of the city.
¿Hay un parque por aquí?Is there a park over here?