haber
to have
A versatile verb built around the core idea of "having"
Encoding Strategies:
linguistic
have
have
+
-er
verb suffix
Haber means to have and is a direct cognate of the English word. Nearly every use connects back to the idea of having or possessing0.
haber
to have (auxiliary)
Used before a past participle to form compound tenses, just like in English.
- He comido demasiado = I have eaten too much
- Nunca habían viajado al extranjero = They had never traveled abroad
there is, there are (existence)
Used impersonally to express existence. Just as English says "we have a problem" to mean "there is a problem," Spanish uses haber the same way — "one has water here" became the standard way to say water exists.
- Hay mucha gente en la plaza = There are a lot of people in the square
- No había suficiente comida para todos = There wasn't enough food for everyone
haber que
to have to, must, to be necessary to (obligation)
Like the phrase "have to" in English, 'haber' expresses obligation to say you have to do something. Spanish uses "que" to introduce the thing you have to do, the same way English uses "to."
- Hay que tener paciencia = You have to be patient
- Hay que llegar temprano = One must arrive early
haberes
assets, earnings, salary (plural)
Your assets are the things you have (your "havings").
- Sus haberes incluían una casa y varios negocios = His assets included a house and several businesses
- Reclaman sus haberes atrasados = They are claiming their back pay