“Hay” or “está”
CEFR A1 · part 2
edumaterial's parts within the level. The European framework does not subdivide them.
“Me gusta”: the sentence turns roundBuilding sentences with “gustar”, “encantar”, “doler”, “interesar” and “faltar”: the…“Tengo 20 años”, “hace frío”Using “tener” for age, hunger, thirst, cold, fear and being right, and “hacer” for the…“No tengo nada”: two negatives are rightBuilding negative sentences with “nada”, “nadie”, “nunca”, “ninguno” and “tampoco”…“Quiero”, “puedo”, “duermo”: verbs that change insideThe three patterns —“e” to “ie”, “o” to “ue”, “e” to “i”— and the shape they make: every…“Veo a María”: the “a” that English cannot seePutting “a” in front of a person who is the direct object —“busco a mi hermano”— and…“Ser” or “estar”: two verbs for one “to be”Choosing between “ser” and “estar” in everyday sentences: who you are and what you are…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”.