edumaterial's parts within the level. The European framework does not subdivide them.
- 1Try
- 2Learn
- 3Practise
- 4Check
The rule, in three lines
Hay introduces something NEW and never takes el or la: hay un banco cerca, hay tres sillas, hay leche. Estar locates something both of you already know about: el banco está enfrente, las sillas están en la cocina. And hay never changes: it is the same word for one thing and for a hundred.
The usual slip. Using hay with el or la — hay el baño — or making it plural: hayn, han for «there are».
Why it catches you out. English says “there is” for both jobs, and even keeps the same shape: “there is a bank near here” and “there is the bank, look”. Spanish splits them, and the article tells you which one you need: “un”, “una”, a number or nothing at all means “hay”; “el” or “la” means “está”.