Spanish conjugation explanation
Ha vs. hay
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Although <span style="font-style: italic">ha</span> and <span style="font-style: italic">hay</span> are both third person singular forms of the verb <span style="font-style: italic">haber</span>, they are <strong>never interchangeable</strong>:
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<div><span style="font-style: italic">Ha</span> acts as an <strong>auxiliary verb form</strong> and forms the present perfect (<span style="font-style: italic">pretérito perfecto</span>) tense with the past participle:</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ella no <strong>ha comido</strong>.</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">She hasn't eaten.</span>)</div>
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<div>As an <strong>impersonal verb</strong>, <span style="font-style: italic">haber</span> can only be conjugated in the third person singular in all tenses. In the present tense, the only correct verb form is <span style="font-style: italic">hay</span>, which means "there is" or "there are":</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Hay</strong> un lago en frente de mi casa.</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">There is a lake in front of my house.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Hay</strong> dos o tres bolígrafos en la mesa.</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">There are two or three pens on the desk.</span>)</div>
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<div><span style="font-style: italic">Ha</span> and <span style="font-style: italic">hay</span> are also used for expressing obligation. When the obligation is not being given to a specific person, the impersonal <span style="font-style: italic">hay</span> is used, followed by <span style="font-style: italic">que</span>. When referring to a specific person, <span style="font-style: italic">ha</span> is used, followed by <span style="font-style: italic">de</span>:</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Hay que</strong> pagar la cuenta hoy.</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">The bill must be paid today.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ella <strong>ha de</strong> estar muy feliz.</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">She must be very happy.</span>)</div>
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