Hay in the past tense

Question

OK, I bet this has been covered, but I read through a whole page of ´Hay´ Q&As; and didn´t find an answer.

How do I, if it´s even possible, express ´Hay´ in the past tense, as in: there was there were or Are there...? Were there..?

There were 8 people at the little party. There were two other white house on my street There was one other guy there. Were any others there?

etc etc

Thanks Roger

Answer 1

And don't forget that haber is not used in plural like this:

Habían muchos coches en la calle.

good job - Rey_Mysterio, Feb 8, 2012

:) - patch, Feb 8, 2012

I'll try not to forget... but I fear I will. - katydew, Feb 8, 2012

Answer 2

Hubo una tormenta ese día. Había tres personas en la fiesta.

Good examples of preterite and imperfect for haber. Thanks Hecho! - pesta, Feb 7, 2012

Thanks. How then, is Hubo different from Había ? I gather to do with pretérito vs imperfecto? If so, that´s a bit past my level of study and comprehension as a newb. I know they exist, but haven´t delved into true understanding or usage just yet. - rogspax, Feb 7, 2012

Answer 3

I hear that haber in the prererit is very rarely used if at all.

Don't believe everything that you hear.

As Rogspax has rightly surmised, proper usage is determined by factors related to the difference in perspective that comes with using either the the imperfect or the preterit.

That being said, there are plenty of instances where one might use hubo (preterit):

El pasado fin de semana hubo tres peleas de gran interés que dejaron buenas conclusiones para el futuro del boxeo.

Last weekend there were three very interesting fights that held promising outcomes for the future of boxing.

Ayer, hubo tres accidentes de tránsito en los que los conductores sólo sufrieron lesiones leves.

Yesterday, there were three traffic accidents in which the drivers suffered only minor injuries.

El sector en el que hubo más accidentes fue el de la construcción.

The sector in which there were more accidents was construction.

Voting for a nice review.... thanks. - katydew, Feb 8, 2012

Answer 4

What´s the best-standard practice on this forum to ask or delve deeper? Start a new question? - rogspax

It would not be off topic to switch the discussion from hay/había to other forms of impersonal Haber.

Hay is merely the present tense, indicative mood form of impersonal Haber. Here are the other tenses & moods.

forms of impersonal Haber

I was just thinking, 'I need to review these' and lo and behold, Qfreed comes to the rescue. - katydew, Feb 8, 2012

Answer 5

Hubo is like when something is done...Like in my example: there was a storm. It is done. No more.

Habia- There wereand keeeps going.

Oops -- space disappeared between "were" and "and." ;) - territurtle, Feb 8, 2012

sry - Rey_Mysterio, Feb 8, 2012

really nice - thanks Hecho - patch, Feb 8, 2012

Answer 6

Había

Works just like hay for "there was" and "there were".

Thanks much! Nice when the answer is simple sometimes. - rogspax, Feb 7, 2012

Answer 7

I believe you would use "había," I hear that haber in the prererit is very rarely used if at all.

Thanks to you too. OK, now I realize I don´t even quite get where ´Hay´ comes from exactly anyway. A form of Haber not in my verb book? What´s the best-standard practice on this forum to ask or delve deeper? Start a new question? - rogspax, Feb 7, 2012