Hay vs Estar: Saying “There Is” and “Where It Is” in Spanish

English says “there is a pharmacy near here” to bring something new into the conversation, and “the pharmacy is near here” once everyone knows which one you mean. Spanish makes the same split with two different words: hay says that something exists, and estar says where a known thing is. Hay una farmacia; está cerca.

Hay = there is, there are

Use hay when you say that something exists somewhere, or when you mention it for the first time. It is one fixed word, and it covers both “there is” and “there are.”

For the negative, put no before hay. Uncountable and plural nouns can appear without an article, just as in the positive: No hay leche. No hay taxis. With one countable thing, Spanish often drops un/una in the negative: En el pueblo no hay farmacia (there's no pharmacy in the village). As that example shows, the place can come first: En la plaza hay un banco means the same as Hay un banco en la plaza.

Estar = where a known thing is

Once the person, place or thing is identified — with el/la/los/las, with mi/tu/su, or by name — say where it is with estar. Unlike hay, estar agrees: está for one, están for more than one.

For the location of people, objects and geographical places, use estar even if they never move: Sevilla está en el sur de España. Events are different: La reunión es en la oficina tells you where the meeting takes place. The ser vs estar guide covers that distinction.

Look at the word before the noun

The little word in front of the noun usually tells you which one you need. New or unidentified things go with hay; specific, known things go with estar.

This table is a useful default for introducing something or locating it. Hay can also appear with definite expressions in contexts such as listing available options: ¿Qué hay de postre? — Hay fruta, yogur y el flan de ayer. (What is there for dessert? — There is fruit, yogurt and yesterday’s flan.) And estar can locate an indefinite thing if the context identifies it. The choice depends on what you mean, not just on the article.

Asking about places

The split works the same way in questions. Ask with hay when you don't know if the thing exists; ask with dónde + estar when you mean a specific, known thing and need to find it.

In short answers the noun drops, and masculine un becomes uno: hay uno (a bank); feminine stays una: hay una (a pharmacy). You can also ask ¿Dónde hay una farmacia? (where is there a pharmacy? — any one will do); it's ¿Dónde está la farmacia? once you mean a specific one.

Regional notes: Spain mostly says por aquí; in much of Latin America por acá is just as common, and in Argentina and Uruguay it's the everyday choice. Both are correct. For the toilets in a bar or station, Spain often says los servicios or los aseos; el baño is understood everywhere and is the usual word in Latin America. And don't confuse this topic with hay que (“you have to”), which is a separate structure.

Common mistakes

Estar for “there is.” Introducing something new — a bank you haven't mentioned yet — takes hay.

Hay with a known thing. El banco is a specific bank, so say where it is with estar.

Ser for “there are.” English “are” pulls learners toward son, but existence is hay — singular or plural.

Son dos farmacias is fine when you say what some buildings are (“they're two pharmacies”) — just not to say that they exist.

Hay with mi/tu. Mis llaves are specific keys you already know about, so they take estar — and estar agrees with the plural.

Quick exercise

Fill in hay, está or están.

1. ___ un supermercado al final de la calle.
2. El supermercado ___ al final de la calle.
3. En mi barrio ___ tres parques.
4. ¿Dónde ___ los niños?
5. ¿___ una farmacia por aquí?
6. Perdone, ¿dónde ___ la estación?
7. No ___ leche en casa.
8. Marta ___ en la oficina.