Haber Conjugation: A Comprehensive Guide

While there are many irregular verbs out there, haber is probably one of the most difficult ones to conjugate, to the point where even native speakers sometimes struggle with it. 

There’s one good reason for it, and it’s because haber is actually an auxiliary verb - we’ll talk more about it later. Still, having the right resources will definitely make getting the hang of it easier. 

That’s why we prepared this haber conjugation guide. Covering every conjugation of haber you will need when communicating, this comprehensive overview will help you master them.

When to Use Haber 

Haber is sometimes wrongly interpreted as “to have” due to its similarity to the English verb. However, that is not the case. Haber can be used in a number of scenarios: 

• To indicate existence. This is probably the most common situation in which haber is used. The object you want to talk about can be but doesn’t have to be physical. 
  • Hay una cama en el cuarto. - There’s a bed in the room. 
  • Hay química entre Rosa y Julio. - There’s chemistry between Rosa and Julio. 
• To indicate a lack of existence. Haber can also be used in the opposite way, to indicate that something is not present - and just like before, it can be used in case of a physical or non-physical thing. 
  • No hay ajo en la cocina. - There’s no garlic in the kitchen. 
  • No hay dudas. - There’s no doubt. 
• To say that something needs to be done. When used in combination with “que”, haber can be used to express that something needs to or has to be done. 
  • Hay que tener cuidado cuando eres en Barcelona porque hay muchos carteristas. - You need to be careful in Barcelona as there are many pickpockets. 

However, as mentioned, haber has one more function, and that is as an auxiliary, or as some call it, helping verb. While it does translate to “have” in this context, it should not be mistaken for the verb “to have” indicating possession. It might sound confusing, but it will get clearer once we show you some examples: 

• He comprado una computadora. - I have bought a computer. 
• ¿Has estudiado para el examen de mañana? - Have you studied for the exam tomorrow? 
• Han salido ya. - They have already left.

It should be clearer now what we meant, shouldn’t it? 

Indicative Tenses of Haber with Examples 

Indicative tenses are used when talking about something that is a fact or a characteristic. You can also use them when talking about a routine or a habit. 

Haber Indicative in Simple Tenses 

Here is a haber conjugation chart for all simple tenses of the indicative mood. 

Haber Indicative Present 

The Present Indicative tense is used to talk about situations that are happening now or will happen in the near future, as well as facts and general truths.  

Additionally, there’s the “hay” form, also called “the existential form,” which is only present in the third person singular and means “there is / there are”. 

Examples: 

• Yo he comido. - I have eaten. 
• Hemos viajado para esta boda desde España. - We have traveled for this wedding from Spain. 
• Hay muchos estudiantes en la clase. - There are many students in the class. 

Haber Preterite Conjugation

The Preterire tense is used when talking about actions that happened in the past, but at the time of speaking are completed. This could refer, for example, to actions that were a singular event or those that happened a specific number of times. Very often those actions also refer to a specific time during which they happened. 

Examples: 

• Yo hube terminado mi tarea a las diez. - I had finished my homework by ten o’clock. 
• Nosotros hubimos comido antes de ir al cine. - We had eaten before going to the movies. 
• Ellos hubieron visto la película antes. - They had seen the movie before. 

Haber Imperfect Conjugation 

The Imperfect tense is used when mentioning an action that was part of a routine or a habit in the past, but it’s no longer. It can be compared to the English “I used to…” Very often, this is used to talk about things that you did regularly during childhood but no longer do. 

Examples: 

• Había pensado en ir al cine, pero luego cambié de idea. - I had thought about going to the movies, but then I changed my mind. 
• Ya habíamos visitado antes esa ciudad. - We had visited that city before. 
• Habían preparado una cena deliciosa. - They had cooked a delicious meal. 

Haber Future Conjugation 

The Future Indicative tense is typically used when referring to an action or an event that will take place in the future, but there’s no specified time when. 

Examples: 

• Para 2030 habré terminado mis estudios universitarios. - By 2030 I will have finished my university studies. 
• Habrán resuelto el problema. - They will have solved the problem.
• Si te esfuerzas más, habrás aprendido español con fluidez. - If you put more work in, you will have learned Spanish fluently. 

Haber Conditional Conjugation 

The Conditional tense is used when talking about hypothetical situations and scenarios that would happen provided certain conditions are met. 

Examples: 

• No habrían venido si no les hubieras invitado. - They wouldn’t have come if you hadn’t invited them. 
• Si hubieras estudiado más, habrías sacado mejor nota. - If you had studied more, you would have gotten a better grade. 
• No habría creído esa historia si no la hubiera visto con mis propios ojos. - I wouldn’t have believed that story if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. 

Haber Indicative in Compound Tenses 

Subjunctive Tenses of Haber with Examples 

The subjunctive tenses are the opposite of indicative tenses. While the indicative ones talk about things that are either true or realistic, the subjunctive mood talks about your hopes, dreams and desires. These tenses are also used when you aren’t sure or are doubting something. 

Haber Subjunctive Conjugation in Simple Tenses

Haber Subjunctive Present Conjugation

The Present Subjunctive tense is used when talking about something that you don’t have accurate information about or when you want to express your wishes or doubts about something. 

Examples: 

• Dudo que haya suficiente comida para todos. - I doubt there’s enough food for everyone. 
• Es necesario que haya un médico en el avión.. - It’s necessary that there be a doctor on the plane. 
• Me sorprende que no haya llovido en semanas. - I am surprised it hasn’t rained in weeks. 

Haber Subjunctive Imperfect Conjugation

The Imperfect Subjunctive tense is used when you want to talk about an unlikely event from the past. 

Examples: 

• Tal vez no hubiera tantos problemas si hubiéramos comunicado mejor. - Maybe there wouldn’t have been so many problems if we had communicated better. 
• Sentía que ellos no hubieran entendido las instrucciones. - I felt that they had not understood the instructions.

Haber Subjunctive Future Conjugation

As mentioned, haber is an auxiliary verb, so its use in Future Subjunctive conjugation is actually a bit more complex - it is used to form the “subjunctive future perfect” tense.

A good example of that would be “hubiere escrito la carta”, which could be translated to “I will have written the letter’”. 

Additionally, Future Subjunctive tense is actually one that is not commonly used in modern Spanish. You will most often encounter it in literature, official documents, or in set phrases. 

Subjunctive Tenses in Compound Tenses

Imperative Conjunctions of Haber

Avoid Confusion in Spoken Spanish with Haber versus A Ver 

In spoken Spanish be careful to pay attention when you hear A Ver. The term “a ver” means let’s see and is a filler word often used in daily conversation. The confusion comes because A Ver sounds the exact same as Haber. Even native speakers can mix up the two when they hear them and then write them out.

As an extra tip, A Ver is going to be spoken more often than Haber, so if you hear either and aren’t sure which one to write, first, think of the context. If you still don’t know which to write, then A Ver is a good guess since it is more common.

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