The verb hay means "there is" or "there are" in English. It is the third person singular form of "haber" and is used the same way for both singular and plural.
Hay never changes. Use it to say what exists or what is present in a place:
| Singular | Hay un gato. = There is a cat. |
| Plural | Hay tres gatos. = There are three cats. |
| Question | ¿Hay leche? = Is there milk? |
Unlike English, Spanish does not differentiate "is" and "are" — hay handles both.
Use hay to describe what exists or is present:
Hay una mesa en la clase. = There is a table in the classroom.
¿Hay estudiantes en el parque? = Are there students in the park?
Hay muchas flores en el jardín. = There are many flowers in the garden.
Hay un problema. = There is a problem.
Remember: use hay for existence, but use ser/estar for describing people or things:
Hay una casa. = There is a house. (existence)
La casa es bonita. = The house is pretty. (description)
Hay niños en la escuela. = There are children in the school. (existence)
Los niños son inteligentes. = The children are intelligent. (description)
Form questions and negatives naturally with hay:
Complete with the correct form of hay:
_________ un gato en la sala. → Hay
¿_________ libros en la biblioteca? → Hay
No _________ leche en la nevera. → hay
Traps for English speakers
These are the errors English speakers make most often.