hay versus tener
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How do you know whether to use Hay or tener?
1483 views
updated Oct 31, 2011
posted by kahunagrande
Hello and welcome to the forum. =) - RosaVerde, Oct 31, 2011
2 Answers
2
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'Tener' signifies possession.
- Tengo un hermano.
- Ella tiene treinta y cinco años.
- Tenemos gatos.
'Haber' represents existence. Usually you will see it either as 'hay' (there is/are):
- Hay muchos restaurantes cerca de aquí.
Or as an auxiliary (helping) verb, used in all of the Perfect tenses (haber + participle) and translated as 'to have done':
- He visto esa película cuatro veces.
- Él había vivido en España por ocho años.
If you watch the videos on the site, they explain the difference quite clearly.
Also, try searching in the search bar to see if it has already been answered, as there are already dozens of threads about this.
updated Oct 31, 2011
edited by RosaVerde
posted by RosaVerde
nice expla. - albert-fabrik-, Oct 31, 2011
0
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They have quite different meanings. If you remember that hay is the equivalent of "there is" or "there are," I don't think you'll have any problem.
updated Oct 31, 2011
posted by Luzbonita
