Im confused with verb "Haber"

Question

This verb really confuses me. I know that TO HAVE is "tener" and "haber" in Spanish.

My mexican friend told me that "hubieron muchas gentes en el concierto". Is this correct? Another native friend told me that it should be "hubo" instead of "hubieron"

Answer 1

HI, welcome to the forum

hubieron is a common mistake, it is considered a very bad mistake though.

When haber is used as the impersonal "there is/are" it is hay, it does NOT have a plural form!

so in present it is always hay, whatever the number of things, and in past it is always hubo/había

Thanks senora, very interesting - dsmith70, MAY 27, 2010

Really? This is news to me! I guess in Mexico we're taught a different Spanish, :) "Hubieron" is a perfectly fine conjugation for past tense. However, I agree that "hubieron muchas gentes" is incorrect no matter which way you look at it. - tamalmalamarrado, MAY 27, 2010

Tamal I agree with you. in my 501 Spanish verbs by(Professor) Christopher Kendris he lists (ellos) hubieron as preterite conjugation of haber - FELIZ77, MAY 27, 2010

only 3rd person plural of course - FELIZ77, MAY 27, 2010

Heidita I gave you a vote... you are perfectly correct here - FELIZ77, MAY 27, 2010

Answer 2

"hubieron muchas gentes en el concierto" -this is NOT correct

"Había mucha gente en el concierto" would be better

= There were many people at the concert

Haber is an auxiliary verb which acts to support other verbs

It could be used in situations - such as, for example: I have already eaten = Ya he comido.

You conjugate the present tense of haber with the past participle of whatever verb you need to use also They have helped me to improve my Spanish

= Me han ayudado mejorar mi español.

Tener is the proper verb to denote possesion as MeEncantan correctly states above.

I have = tengo

Answer 3

tamalmalamar said

Really? This is news to me! I guess in Mexico we're taught a different Spanish, "Hubieron" is a perfectly fine conjugation for past tense. However, I agree that "hubieron muchas gentes" is incorrect no matter which way you look at it.

I think you missed heidi´s point which was when used impersonally there is no plural form for there is, there are or there were. Of course there is a perfectly sound meaning of hubieron and I think "ellos hubieron dicho" qualifies.

préterito anterior=hubieron dicho hubieron=pretérito perfecto simple - 0074b507, MAY 27, 2010

Answer 4

Tiene mucha razón mi querida Dsmith70. En este caso, lo correcto es decir: "Hubo mucha gente en el concierto".

El verbo haber genera mucha confusión entre los hispano-hablantes y se usa inadecuadamente.

siempre un gusto verte ricardo:) - 00494d19, MAY 27, 2010

Muchas gracias Heidita, el gusto es mio. Yo no veo la hora de 'meterme" cuando tengo algún chancecito. - RicardoP, MAY 27, 2010

Answer 5

No sé si tiene mucho que ver con la pregunta, jeje, pero si, en efecto, igual que en inglés, no es común pero sí se puede.

Las buenas gentes de este lugar me dieron de comer.

Mira esto :

en el mismo DRAE hallamos otra acepción, en la cual «gente» designa a cada persona en particular. .. como propia de algunos países hispanoamericanos: «En algunos países de América, persona, individuo». ...«Este es el estado de nuestras gentes, duchos en la discusión, rebeldes en la práctica». El mismo uso lo hallamos en el venezolano Mariano Picón Salas: «...las asoleadas y perezosas gentes latinas...».

Como puede verse, cuando «gente» se emplea como sinónimo de «persona», casi siempre va en plural, mientras que cuando se refiere genéricamente al «ser humano», se pone en singular.

Gracias Heidi - ian-hill, MAY 27, 2010

The reason I asked was that if gente could not be plural then no one would want to use "hubieron" - ian-hill, MAY 27, 2010

Answer 6

Can "gente" ever be plural "gentes" ?

"People" is the plural of "person" in English but can be used as a plural

Example

The peoples of South America.

Answer 7

Haber is used with participles, such as "I have drawn 3000 smiley faces during my life." (not really )

Tener is used for ownership- "I have 14 pages of math homework."