Haber vs Tener – Have (helping) vs Have (own)
In Spanish, haber and tener both translate as "have" but serve very different functions: haber appears as a helping verb in compound tenses while tener expresses possession or necessity.
Haber
Haber is primarily used as an auxiliary verb to form compound tenses like the perfect, and also appears in impersonal expressions. It does not agree with the noun when used impersonally.
Haber in Perfect Tenses
The perfect tense combines haber in the present (or another tense) plus a past participle, and expresses actions that have occurred relative to the moment of speaking.
| Spanish Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|
| he habido | I have had (experience) |
| has habido | you have had (experience) |
| ha habido | he/she/it has had (experience) |
| hemos habido | we have had (experience) |
| habéis habido | you all have had (experience) |
| han habido | they have had (experience) |
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ✈️ He llegado y ya han limpiado la habitación. | I have arrived and they have already cleaned the room. |
| 🏖️ Habíamos reservado antes de salir de casa. | We had booked before leaving home. |
| 🌅 Ella ha visto el amanecer desde la terraza. | She has seen the sunrise from the terrace. |
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Impersonal Haber
Use haber in the third person singular to signal existence or occurrence: hay (there is/are), hubo (there was/was there), habrá (there will be). These forms do not change for number when used impersonally.
| Spanish Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| hay | there is / there are |
| hubo | there was / there were |
| habrá | there will be |
| hay que | one must / it is necessary to |
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🌧️ Hay cancelación de vuelos por la tormenta. | There are flight cancellations due to the storm. |
| 🧳 Había mucha fila para el check-in. | There was a long line for check-in. |
| 🏨 Hay ofertas de último minuto en varios hoteles. | There are last-minute deals at several hotels. |
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Tener
Tener expresses possession, physical states, age, and obligations when combined with que. It is a concrete action typically directed at a specific subject.
Tener for Possession
Use tener to indicate that someone owns or possesses something, and to describe bodily conditions or sensations with noun complements.
| Spanish Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| tengo un libro | I have a book |
| tienes tiempo | you have time |
| tiene dolor | he/she has pain |
| tenemos miedo | we have fear |
| tienen hambre | they have hunger |
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🏨 Tenemos una habitación con vista al mar. | We have a room with a sea view. |
| 🚗 Tienen un coche de alquiler en el aeropuerto. | They have a rental car at the airport. |
| 🎟️ Tengo dos billetes para el tren de las ocho. | I have two tickets for the eight o’clock train. |
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Tener que + Infinitive
The construction tener que followed by an infinitive expresses obligation or necessity for a particular person or group to do something.
| Spanish Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| tengo que ir | I have to go |
| tienes que estudiar | you have to study |
| tiene que trabajar | he/she has to work |
| tenemos que salir | we have to leave |
| tienen que volver | they have to return |
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🕒 Tengo que hacer el check-in antes de las cinco. | I have to check in before five. |
| 🛍️ Tienes que dejar las maletas en consigna. | You have to leave the bags at storage. |
| 📧 Tenemos que confirmar la reserva por correo. | We have to confirm the booking by email. |
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Key Differences
Haber functions mostly as an auxiliary or impersonal verb signaling existence, while tener denotes concrete possession, physical states, or personal obligation. Replacing one with the other changes the meaning or results in ungrammatical sentences.
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Summary
Use haber to form compound tenses and to express existence impersonally with hay and related forms. Use tener to show possession, describe bodily conditions, state age, and express necessity with tener que.
Last updated: Tue Sep 16, 2025