logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
August 3, 2020 by Michelle Margaret Fajkus Homeschooling, Spanish Grammar 0 comments

Haber Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson, Exercises, and PDF

Have you had the pleasure of dealing with haber? It’s an extra special verb in Spanish—and definitely one of the more advanced verbs to learn and implement in conversation.

There’s no denying that haber conjugations are challenging. It’s ok, relax! We’re here to help with this comprehensive guide. We’ll go over everything including how to use haber as an auxiliary verb and as an impersonal verb, including the variety of indicative and subjunctive tenses. Then, test your new knowledge with a mini-quiz.

The Spanish Verb Haber

Haber is a super special Spanish verb. Its English equivalent is the auxiliary verb “have.” But wait! It can also mean “there is” or “there are.”

Now that you have a basic understanding of the different contexts in which this verb can be used, let’s take a look at the many haber conjugations. 

haber conjugation PDF
Download your free Haber Conjugation PDF

Haber Conjugations: Verbals 

Infinitive: haber

Gerund: habiendo

Participle: habido

Examples:

Va a haber cuestiones. — There are going to be issues.

Ha habido un cambio en la temperatura. — There has been a change in temperature.

Antes del pandémico, siempre había habido libertad para viajar. — Before the pandemic, there had always been freedom to travel.

Haber Conjugation as an Auxiliary Verb 

Here’s a handy guide to all the forms of the auxiliary verb haber. Remember to add past participles to the following forms when you use them in conversation.

Indicative Mood

Preterite (Present) Perfect Tense

yo heI have
tú hasyou have
él/ella/usted hahe/she hasyou (formal) have
nosotros hemoswe have
ustedes/ellos/ellas hanyou (plural) / they have

Imperfect/Pluperfect Tense

yo habíaI had
tú habíasyou had
él/ella/usted habíahe/she/you (formal) had
nosotros habíamoswe had
ustedes/ellos/ellas habíanyou (plural) / they had

Preterite Perfect Tense

yo hubeI had
tú hubisteyou had
él/ella/usted hubohe/she/you (formal) had
nosotros hubimoswe had
ustedes/ellos/ellas hubieronyou (plural) / they had

Future Perfect Tense

yo habréI will have
tú habrásyou will have
él/ella/usted habráhe/she/you (formal) will have
nosotros habremoswe will have
ustedes/ellos/ellas habrányou (plural)/they will have

Conditional Perfect Tense

yo habríaI would have
tú habríasyou would have
él/ella/usted habríahe/she/you (formal) would have
nosotros habríamoswe would have
ustedes/ellos/ellas habríanyou (plural)/they would have

Subjunctive Mood

Preterite (Present) Perfect Tense

yo hayaI have
tú hayasyou have
él/ella/usted hayahe/she hasyou (formal) have
nosotros hayamoswe have
ustedes/ellos/ellas hayanyou (plural) / they have

Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto – Pluperfect Tense

yo hubiera / hubiese*I had
tú hubieras / hubieses*you had
él/ella/usted hubiera / hubiese*he/she/you (formal) had
nosotros hubiéramos / hubiésemoswe had
ustedes/ellos/ellas hubieran / hubiesenyou (plural) / they had

*Although hubiese and related forms are used occasionally in modern spoken Spanish, it is more commonly seen in literature.

Future Perfect Tense

  • yo hubiere
  • tú hubieres
  • vos hubieres
  • él/ella/usted hubiere
  • nosotros hubiéremos
  • ustedes/ellos/ellas hubieren

Haber Conjugation as an Impersonal Verb 

Haber is commonly used as an impersonal verb, meaning it only occurs in the third person singular form. When haber is used as an impersonal verb, it expresses existence and translates to “there is” or “there are.” 

  • Hay mucho viento. – There is a lot of wind.
  • Hay dos sillas en la sala. – There are two chairs in the living room.
  • Hubo un arco iris después de la tormenta. – There was a rainbow after the storm.
  • Hubo muchas pasteles en la fiesta. – There were many cakes at the party.
  • Habrá una clase de yoga mañana. – There will be a yoga class tomorrow.
  • Habrá muchos desfiles para el día de la independencia. – There will be many parades for Independence Day.

Note: be sure not to use the plural forms of haber to express existence. It is incorrect to say “hubieron muchos accidentes.” The proper verb form is hubo, even if the subject is plural.

As an impersonal verb, haber has 16 forms which fall into either the indicative or subjunctive mood. The following haber conjugations are also known as the “hay conjugation,” since hay appears exclusively here.

Indicative Mood

Impersonal verbs are a bit funky, as they don’t actually have subjects. Hence, none of the verb forms below conjugate for all pronouns (you, he, she, etc.). 

Simple Indicative Tenses

Presente – Present Tense

  • hay – there is/are

Pretérito Imperfecto – Imperfect Tense

  • había – there was/were

Pretérito Perfecto – Preterite Tense

  • hubo – there was/were

Futuro – Future Tense

  • habrá – there will be

Condicional – Conditional Tense

  • habría – there would be

Compound Tenses

Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto – Preterite (Present) Perfect Tense

  • ha habido – there has been

Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto – Pluperfect Tense

  • había habido – there had been

Pretérito Anterior – Preterite Perfect Tense

  • hubo habido – there had been

Futuro Compuesto – Future Perfect Tense

  • habrá habido – there will have been

Condicional Compuesto – Conditional Perfect Tense

  • habría habido – there would have been

Subjunctive Mood

In case you need a memory refresher, the Spanish subjunctive is a grammatical mood used when the speaker feels uncertain about the action of the sentence or is expressing a subjective opinion. In other words, it expresses the meaning of the verb as a non-reality. Learn more about when and how to use the subjunctive.

learn the subjunctive tense of haber conjugation

Tiempos Simples – Simple Tenses

Presente – Present Tense

  • haya – there is/are

Pretérito Imperfecto – Imperfect Tense

  • hubiera/hubiese – there was/were

Futuro – Future Tense

  • hubiere (no direct English translation)

Tiempos Compuestos – Compound Tenses

Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto – Preterite (Present) Perfect Tense

  • haya habido – there has been

Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto – Pluperfect Tense

  • hubiera/hubiese habido – there would have been

Futuro Compuesto – Future Perfect Tense

  • hubiere habido – no direct English translation

Haber as an Auxiliary Verb 

Haber also functions as an auxiliary verb. Auxiliary verbs help us to talk about the past, present, and future rather than conveying meaning. There are two hard and fast rules with haber in this format:

  1. It appears in all Spanish compound tenses.
  2. It’s always preceded by past participles (verbs that end in –ado or –ido, like dormido or caminado).
  • He comido demasiado. – I have eaten too much.
  • Han completado el proyecto exitosamente. – They have completed the project successfully.
  • ¿Has lavado los platos? – Have you washed the dishes?

Haber Conjugation: Exercises

Translate English to Spanish

1. I have read the book.

2. There are many antique airplanes at the museum.

3. I should have gone to the store this morning.

4. Are there a lot of people?

5. Is anybody here?

6. I wanted there to be love for a lifetime.

7. My friend hates that there are so many cell phones in the world.

Translate Spanish to English

8. ¿Había algunos búhos en el bosque? 

9. He perdido mi gato. 

10. Va a haber preguntas. 

11. ¿Hay una piscina aquí? 

12. ¿Hubo leones en el zoológico? 

13. Habría una boda si ella la quisiera. 

14. Habrá una cena deliciosa en la mesa cuando ella vuelva.

Help Yourself

Remember that the key to mastering haber conjugation—as well as every other set of verb conjugations in Spanish—is practice. Homeschool Spanish Academy provides the opportunity to do just that with native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala in a fun and flexible way. Sign up now for a free trial class to continue improving your Spanish grammar and conversation skills with one of our highly qualified teachers!

Learn more Spanish, faster! Check out these awesome resources:

  • What to Expect in Your Preschooler’s First Spanish Class
  • Spanish Songs Your Preschooler Will Love (and Learn From!)
  • 10 Simple Spanish Words Your Preschooler Can Learn This Week
  • The 7 Most Common Mistakes Homeschool Parents Make When Teaching Spanish
  • From Zero to Fluent? What Realistic Progress Looks Like in 1 Year of Spanish
  • Beginner Spanish for High Schoolers: How to Start from Scratch and Succeed
  • Why Teens Get Bored with Spanish (And How to Keep Them Engaged at the Intermediate Level)
  • 5 Signs Your Homeschooler Is Ready for Intermediate Spanish

Haber Conjugation Answer Key: 

English to Spanish Translation
1. He leído el libro. 
2. Hay muchos aviones antiguos en el museo. 
3. Yo debería haber ido a la tienda esta mañana. 
4. ¿Hay mucha gente? 
5. ¿Hay alguien aquí? 
6. Yo quería que hubiera amor toda la vida. 
7. Mi amigo odia que haya tantos celulares en el mundo.  

Spanish to English Translation
8. Were there any owls in the forest?
9. I have lost my cat.
10. There are going to be questions. 
11. Is there a pool here?
12. Were there any lions at the zoo?
13. There would be a wedding if she wanted one.
14. There will be a delicious dinner on the table when she comes back.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Michelle Margaret Fajkus
Follow on FB
Michelle Margaret Fajkus
Editor & Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
Michelle Margaret Fajkus is a bilingual writer and longtime yoga teacher. A former advertising copywriter turned bilingual elementary school teacher, she is now a freelance writer, editor and translator. A native Texan, Michelle has Mexican roots and learned Spanish in middle and high school. She has become more fluent thanks to living as an expat in Guatemala. She lives with her family on beautiful Lake Atitlan.
Michelle Margaret Fajkus
Follow on FB
Latest posts by Michelle Margaret Fajkus (see all)
  • Ver Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson, Exercises, and PDF - December 5, 2024
  • What Are the Different Levels of Language Proficiency? - October 17, 2024
  • Master All the Forms of Ser in Spanish: Your Ultimate Grammar Guide - July 18, 2024
grammar PDF haber conjugation spanish grammar
1

Related Posts

Spanish curriculum

4 Essential Elements of an Effective Homeschool Spanish Curriculum

January 27, 2018
Read More
Homeschool Spanish Program

Which Online Spanish Program is Best for my Child? Three Great Options to Consider

February 13, 2018
Read More
spanish tutoring

Why HSA’s Spanish Tutoring Is the Most Effective for Your Child

February 22, 2018
Read More
spanish classes online

Spanish Classes Online: Why You Want Immersion Style

March 8, 2018
Read More

Leave a Comment! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

100 Essential Spanish Phrases for Conversational FluencyPrevious Post
5 Impactful Ways the US Coast Guard Has Improved Latin AmericaNext Post

About Us

With over 10 years of experience, HSA is where your goals merge with our teachers’ passion: to improve your Spanish fluency. Custom-tailored to fit your needs, you choose your program, schedule, favorite teachers, pace of learning, and more.. Learn More

Resources

  • About
  • Get a Transcript
  • FAQs
  • How it Works
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • What to Expect in Your Preschooler’s First Spanish Class
    What to Expect in Your Preschooler’s First Spanish Class
    April 25, 2025
    Nervous about starting Spanish? Here’s...
  • Spanish Songs Your Preschooler Will Love (and Learn From!)
    Spanish Songs Your Preschooler Will Love (and Learn From!)
    April 24, 2025
    Music makes Spanish stick. Here are the...

Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Contact Us© 2022 HSA. All rights reserved.