There are different “be” verbs in Spanish. The verb ser is used to describe permanent characteristics, such as height, origin, and name:
Eres muy alto.
You are very tall.
Soy finlandés.
I am Finnish.
Estar is used when referring to temporary states; location, moods, and feelings:
Estoy bien, gracias.
I’m fine, thank you.
Vosotras estáis en Sevilla.
You are in Seville.
The verb tener is used when someone has or owns something or, when talking about someone’s age:
Tengo dos botellas de agua.
I have two bottles of water.
El gato tiene quince años.
The cat is fifteen years old.
| SER (to be) | ESTAR (to be) | TENER (to be, to have/own) |
|---|---|---|
| soy | estoy | tengo |
| eres | estás | tienes |
| es | está | tiene |
| somos | estamos | tenemos |
| sois | estáis | teneís |
| son | están | tienen |
The verb hay refers to the existence of something, and it’s used like “there is / there are” in English. The most common form of the verb is hay:
Hay ruido en la calle.
There is noise in the street.
Hay is only used when the noun (e.g. a blanket) occurs without an article, with an indefinite article or with an amount or number, e.g. mucho (much, many) and dos (two):
¿Hay una manta en el armario?
Is there a blanket in the wardrobe?
Hay dos baños en la casa.
There are two bathrooms in the house.