A Guide for Not Sounding Like a Confused Tourist

Learning Spanish is all fun and games until someone asks you to explain where the car is and whether it even exists. Suddenly, you’re fumbling through verbs like they’re items on a tapas menu, not quite sure which one you need but hoping you don’t order octopus by mistake.

Fear not, fellow language learner! Today, we’re tackling one of the trickiest pairs of Spanish verbs: estar and haber. Both can refer to the presence of things, but much like trying to figure out whether to kiss someone once, twice, or thrice when you greet them in Spain, the difference is key.

This guide will walk you through when to use estar and when to go with haber, so you can strut through your Spanish conversations with the confidence of someone who knows their jamón ibérico from their chorizo. Let’s crack on, shall we?

The Verb “Estar”: Your Go-To for All Things “Where Is It?”

First up, estar. If estar had a catchphrase, it’d probably be something like, “Where’s the party at?” It’s all about location, location, location. Whether you’re talking about where your mate José is or where you left your dignity after a few too many sangrias, estar is the verb you want.

Here’s how it shakes down in the present tense, so you can conjugate like a pro:

Estar (to be)

Yo estoy
Tú estás
Él/Ella/Usted está
Nosotros estamos
Vosotros estáis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes están

And now, the 5 key moments when estar will be your new best friend:

1. When You’re Just Talking About Where Something Is

If you’re pointing out where someone or something is, estar steps in like a helpful tour guide.

son ejemplos

• El gato está en la cama. (The cat is on the bed. Where else would it be?)
• Los libros están en la estantería. (The books are on the shelf. A classic spot.)
• La fiesta está en mi casa. (The party is at my house. Time to put on your dancing shoes!)

2. Specific People and Places? Yep, Estar Again!

When you’re name-dropping or pointing out specific spots, estar is still your mate.

son ejemplos:

• Mi madre está en el supermercado. (My mum is at the supermarket. Probably comparing avocados.)
• Juan está en la oficina. (Juan is in the office. Pretending to work, no doubt.)
• Barcelona está en el noreste de España. (Barcelona is in the northeast of Spain. A city that knows how to party!)

3. Specific Objects + Definite Articles = Estar

If the thing you’re talking about is specific—like the dog, not a dog—stick with estar.

son ejemplos:

• El ordenador está en la mesa. (The computer is on the table. Doing all the hard work for you.)
• Las llaves están en la puerta. (The keys are in the door. Convenient, yet risky.)
• El coche está en el garaje. (The car is in the garage. Where it enjoys its downtime.)

4. Asking the Ever-Important “Where the Heck Is It?”

Lost your keys? Don’t know where your friend is? Use estar when you’re asking for a location.

son ejemplos:

• ¿Dónde está mi móvil? (Where is my phone? A question we ask far too often.)
• ¿Dónde están mis gafas? (Where are my glasses? Classic ‘on your head’ scenario.)
• ¿Dónde está el baño? (Where is the bathroom? The most crucial question when out and about.)

5. Referring Back to That Thing You Already Mentioned

Already said there’s a sofa in your house? Now you want to point out exactly where it is. You guessed it, estar is your verb here.

son ejemplos:

• En el jardín hay una mesa. La mesa está bajo el árbol. (In the garden, there is a table. The table is under the tree. How scenic.)
• En mi casa hay un gato. El gato está en el sofá. (In my house, there is a cat. The cat is on the sofa. Standard.)
• En la ciudad hay un museo. El museo está en el centro. (In the city, there is a museum. The museum is in the centre. Culture, darling!)

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The Verb “Haber”: The “Does It Even Exist?” Verb

Now, let’s talk about haber. If estar is all about where things are, haber is about whether they exist at all. It’s a bit like Schrödinger’s verb—if there’s something there, but you haven’t checked yet, haber will handle it.

In its most common form, hay (there is/are), this verb is the language equivalent of waving your arms and saying, “Look! Something!” Let’s break down its present tense conjugation:

Haber (there is/ are)

Yo he
Tú has
Él/Ella/Usted ha
Nosotros hemos
Vosotros habéis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes han

And here’s when you’ll whip out haber:

1. When You’re Introducing Something for the First Time

Imagine you’re showing off a new town or idea—use hay to say it’s there!

son ejemplos:

• En el parque hay un lago. (In the park, there’s a lake. Fancy a swim?)
• En la fiesta hay mucha gente. (At the party, there are lots of people. And none of them know your name.)
• En esta ciudad hay una catedral impresionante. (In this city, there’s an impressive cathedral. Cue the awe-inspiring selfies.)

2. Using Indefinite Articles for Non-Specific Stuff

If you’re talking about something vague or undefined—a guy, some books—haber is your verb.

son ejemplos:

• Hay una película en la televisión. (There’s a film on the TV. Whether it’s good is another matter.)
• Hay un coche aparcado frente a mi casa. (There’s a car parked in front of my house. Intriguing…)
• Hay una tienda nueva en la esquina. (There’s a new shop on the corner. Time to go snoop.)

3. Talking Quantities: Count ‘Em Up with Haber

Want to talk numbers? Haber can help you point out how many of something exist.

son ejemplos:

• Hay tres perros en el parque. (There are three dogs in the park. Double the cuteness.)
• Hay veinte estudiantes en la clase. (There are 20 students in the class. And probably 20 excuses for not doing homework.)
• Hay cinco manzanas en la cesta. (There are five apples in the basket. One for each day of the week, or just one snack binge.)

4. Speaking in Broad Terms: Many, Few, and All That Jazz

Whether there’s a lot or a little of something, haber and some adjectives (like mucho or poco) will do the trick.

son ejemplos:

• Hay muchas flores en el jardín. (There are many flowers in the garden. Perfect for a photo op.)
• Hay pocas personas en la oficina hoy. (There are few people in the office today. Everyone’s “working” from home, eh?)
• Hay mucho tráfico en la ciudad. (There’s a lot of traffic in the city. Surprise, surprise.)

5. Expressing Absence: Where’s Everyone Gone?

When there’s nobody or nothing to be found, use haber to voice your inner existential angst.

son ejemplos:

• No hay nadie en casa. (There’s nobody at home. Cue the sound of eerie silence.)
• No hay nada en la nevera. (There’s nothing in the fridge. A tragic tale indeed.)
• No hay ninguna solución. (There’s no solution. We’ve entered existential territory now.)

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Resumen

Now You’re Ready to estar and haber Like a Pro. Estar tells you where things are, while haber tells you if they’re even there at all. Master these two and you’ll not only be able to say where your friend’s dog is, but you’ll also confidently declare that, yes, there are in fact many churros at the market. Keep practicing and soon enough, you’ll be slipping estar and haber into conversations like you were born speaking Spanish.