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hay vs está

Both come out as "there is" or "is" in English, so learners mix them up. Spanish splits them by whether the thing is new information or already known.

hay

something exists, first mention

  • Hay un banco en la esquina.
  • Hay tres sillas.
  • ¿Hay leche?
  • No hay nadie.
  • Hay mucha gente hoy.

está

a known thing has a location

  • El banco está en la esquina.
  • Mi hermana está en casa.
  • ¿Dónde está el baño?
  • Los libros están aquí.
  • Madrid está en España.

Quick answer

hay = there is / there are; says that something exists, never takes a definite article.
está = is located; says where a specific, known thing is.

Test: if you can put el, la, mi or a name in front of the noun, you need está.

Side by side

Hay una farmacia cerca.There is a pharmacy nearby — you are introducing it, the listener did not know.
La farmacia está cerca.The pharmacy is nearby — both of you already know which pharmacy.
¿Hay un problema? / ¿Cuál es el problema?Is there a problem? versus What is the problem? — hay opens the topic, the rest assumes it.

Memory trick

Look at the article in front of the noun. <i>un, una, dos, mucho, nada</i> pull hay. <i>el, la, mi, este</i> or a proper name pull está.

Typical mistakes

Hay el supermercado en la calle Mayor.

El supermercado está en la calle Mayor.

Hay never combines with a definite article. Once you say "the supermarket" you are placing a known thing, which is está.

Están muchos turistas aquí.

Hay muchos turistas aquí.

You are reporting that turistas exist in this place, not locating a known group. Quantity words like muchos almost always go with hay.

Check yourself

Fill in: "¿Dónde ___ mi teléfono?"

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