Hay vs está
A1Grammar path · Lesson 11 of 86 · Stage A1 · Talking about people
Use hay when you say that something exists somewhere, like English 'there is' or 'there are'. Use está (singular) or están (plural) when you say where a specific thing that both speakers already know is located. Hay has only one form and usually comes before un/una, a number, mucho or a noun with no article: Hay un banco aquí. Está goes with el/la, names or possessives like mi: El banco está en la plaza. Quick tip: if you see el/la, you almost always need está, not hay.
Practise this lesson · 10 sentences
Form
Hay + un/una/número + sustantivo + lugarel/la/los/las + sustantivo + está/están + lugarNo hay + sustantivo / el/la + sustantivo + no está + lugar¿Hay + un/una + sustantivo? / ¿Dónde está + el/la + sustantivo?When to use it
Saying that something exists
Use hay to introduce something the listener does not know yet, often with un/una, a number or mucho. Hay never changes, singular or plural.
Saying where a specific thing is
When the thing is already identified with el/la, a possessive or a name, use está for singular and están for plural.
Unknown people vs known people
For an unidentified person, use hay un/una; for a named or known person, use está.
Hay and estar
Signal words
Don't confuse it with
Frequently asked questions
Can I say hay el banco?
No. Hay does not go with el/la; say El banco está en la plaza.
Does hay have a plural form?
No. Hay works for singular and plural: hay un libro, hay tres libros.
When do I use está and when están?
Use está for one thing or person and están for several: el libro está, los libros están.
To ask for directions, do I use ¿Hay...? or ¿Dónde está...??
Use ¿Hay una farmacia por aquí? when you do not know if one exists; use ¿Dónde está la farmacia? when you know a specific one exists.
What is hay in the past?
Usually había for descriptions: Había mucha gente en la fiesta. It also stays the same in the plural.