Haber (en. Have)

/aˈβeɾ/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishSpanish

verb

Indicates the existence of something.

There is a book on the table.

Hay un libro sobre la mesa.

Used as an auxiliary in compound tenses.

I have finished my homework.

He terminado mi tarea.

Means that something must happen.

There must be an error in the account.

Debe haber un error en la cuenta.

In some regions, it is used to refer to the need to do something.

The house needs to be cleaned.

Hay que limpiar la casa.

From Latin 'habere', which means 'to have' or 'to possess'.

to have to

Expresses a future obligation.

haber de

there has to be

Indicates need or duty.

haber que

there is a lot to do

Refers to having many pending tasks.

haber mucho que hacer

room

Enclosed space in a construction.

habitación

having it

Means that it has already happened or is agreed upon.

haberlo

having occurred

Reflexive use of the verb haber.

haberse

In some informal contexts, it is used to indicate that something is going to happen.

There is on the guest list.

Haber está en la lista de invitados.

It can be used to refer to 'let's see', in colloquial language.

Let's see if we can get tickets for the concert.

Haber si conseguimos entradas para el concierto.