¿Dónde ________ una floristería, pro favor? To this question you have given the answer as “hay”. I have studied the lesson again but can’t agree.

Question

The question does not enquire about the existence of a florist but the location. Therefore according to the lesson explanation the answer should be “Donde está”.  Please point me to the part of the lesson I have not understood.

Answer

Hola Johan,In the lesson we say that the article used after "hay" is always the indefinite article "un/una/unos/unas", while with "está" we use "el/la/los/las".See the difference between these two sentences:1. ¿Hay una farmacia cerca? -Sí, hay una farmacia muy cerca. (Is there a chemist around here? -Yes, there is a chemist near here.) (asking about the existence of a chemist). Once they say there is one very close, then you want to locate it, so you ask:2. ¿Y dónde está la farmacia? -Está ahí, al lado de la panadería. (And where is the chemist? - It is there, next to the bakers.) (this is about its location)I hope this helps.SaludosInma

Answer

I’m sorry but you have not addressed my point. I agree that if you enquire about the existence of the farmacia the “hay” is the verb. But the lesson makes it clear that once you enquire about the location of a farmacia the “está” is the verb.  The very start of the question “donde” indicates that I know there are farmacias in the location.  All I now want to know is the existence of one of these.

Answer

Well, in this specific question with dónde the speaker doesn't really know of the existence (or not) of a chemist. He is asking "Where is there a chemist?", not "Where is the chemist?" Introducing the question with dónde doesn't always imply that the speaker knows of the existence of whatever he/she is enquiring, if you know what I mean.

Hope this is clearer now.

Inma

Answer

I think it boils down to this:  if you are talking about "a" thing (using the indefinite article), then you use Hay.  If you are talking about "the" thing, then you use está.  In all of the examples in the lesson, every time the indefinite articles are used, they use Hay.

Answer

I think this is a subtle and "trick" sentence.  As a non-native speaker of Spanish, I am used to seeing "donde" as the beginning of a question about "location."  I would have expected this question to be phrased: "Hay una floristeria por aqui, por favor?"

Answer

Johan, I understand your question and I want to know the answer as you do. However, it seems like no one has addressed straight to the point for you.

Is it really difficult to understand and give the correct response to him? Anyone else, please???

Answer

Donde hay una florista (question in general - any florist) versus Donde está la florista  (question specific - the florist). But concerning the question, it might have been better written simply as ¿  . . . una florista, por favor?.

Answer

I had a hard time understanding this as well.  I understand it maybe a little bit more.

Answer

Hola Jeannette

¿Dónde hay una farmacia?
Where is there a chemist?
¿Dónde está la farmacia?
Where is the chemist?

I think the confusion may come from the way in English you can drop the "there" in "Where is [there] a chemist?" -lots of people say "Where is a chemist round here?" not "Where is there a chemist round here?"
Saludos a todos
Inma

Answer

Yes, I think I understand now when you explain the difference between the 2 languages when it is spoken or written.   Thank you.