Hay or estar? “There is” or “it is”
There is, or it is: the word in front settles it
Both can turn up where English says “there is” or “it is”. Hay says that something exists: Hay un banco cerca, there is a bank nearby. Estar says where a thing you already know about is: El banco está cerca, the bank is nearby.
The little word in front usually settles it. Un, una, a number or no word at all points to hay; el, la, mi or a name points to estar.
hay
it exists: is there…?
- New information
- Never changes: one or many
- Usually with un, una, a number, or nothing
Hay un banco cerca.There is a bank nearby.
estar
where a known thing is
- Something already known
- Changes: está, están
- Usually with el, la, mi, or a name
El banco está cerca.The bank is nearby.
On this page
The one thing to remember
Ask one question: does the sentence answer “Is there…?” (hay), or “Where is the…?” (estar)?
When is it hay?
When you are telling someone that something exists, or asking whether it does. The thing is new information.
- Hay muchos restaurantes en el centro.There are many restaurants in the centre.
- ¿Hay leche?Is there any milk?
- ¿Hay un baño aquí?Is there a toilet here?
- No hay problema.There is no problem.
When is it estar?
When you already know which thing you mean, and the sentence says where it is.
- Los restaurantes están en el centro.The restaurants are in the centre.
- La leche está en el refrigerador.The milk is in the fridge.
- El baño está al fondo.The toilet is at the back.
- Mis llaves están en la mesa.My keys are on the table.
How does the word in front help?
The same thing can take either verb. What changes is whether it is new or already known, and the little word before it shows which.
| New: hay | Known: estar |
|---|---|
| Hay un supermercado en mi calle.There is a supermarket in my street. | El supermercado está en mi calle.The supermarket is in my street. |
| Hay muchos turistas en la plaza.There are many tourists in the square. | Los turistas están en la plaza.The tourists are in the square. |
| Hay leche en el refrigerador.There is milk in the fridge. | La leche está en el refrigerador.The milk is in the fridge. |
Un, una, numbers like dos, words like muchos, or no word at all usually go with hay. El, la, los, las, words like mi, tu and este, or a name, mark something as already known, so they go with estar.
Why does hay never change?
Hay stays the same for one thing or many: Hay un banco, there is a bank; Hay veinte bancos, there are twenty banks. Estar changes to match the thing: está for one, están for more than one.
Hay is a special present form of haber, the same verb that builds the “have done” forms, such as he hablado.
A checklist for every sentence
- Is it telling or asking whether something exists?Hay: ¿Hay leche?
- Is the word in front un, una, a number or muchos, or is there no word at all (and it is not a name)?Hay: Hay dos parques cerca de mi casa.
- Is it el, la, los or las, a word like mi, tu or este, a name, or a word like ella?Estar, matched: Mis llaves están en la mesa.
How nemiria teaches this
Hay vs Estar is one of nemiria’s six word pairs, at Foundation, so it is free. Learn shows its two rules with short examples, Test asks you to choose or type the right word, and Apply puts the pair in real sentences.
Read next
Hay vs Estar is one of nemiria’s six word pairs, and it is free at Foundation. Get it on the App Store.