"There was"/"there were" in Spanish: había

Written by qualified Spanish expert Inma Sánchez BA
Last updated: 2023-11-25
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In Spanish there is one form, using El Pretérito Imperfecto, to say both there was and there were.

Learn how to say there was/there were in Spanish

In Spanish we use había to say there was or there were. Read and listen to these examples:

Había un perro en el parque.There was a dog in the park.

Había dos perros en el parque.There were two dogs in the park.

Había un niño en la clase.There was a child in the classroom.

Había demasiados niños.There were too many kids.

Había una buena oferta para ir a Tenerife.There was a good offer to go to Tenerife.

Había descuentos para estudiantes.There were discounts for students.

In Spanish, you use había when it is followed by one thing/person or many things/people, unlike in English.
GRAMMAR: Había is an impersonal form that comes from the third person of the verb haber in El Pretérito Imperfecto. It literally means it had.

Careful! there is another way to say there was/were:

See also "There was"/"there were": hubo and Spanish Había vs Hubo (Imperfect vs Preterite)

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Examples and resources

Había dos perros en el parque.There were two dogs in the park.
Había un perro en el parque.There was a dog in the park.
Había descuentos para estudiantes.There were discounts for students.
Había una buena oferta para ir a Tenerife.There was a good offer to go to Tenerife.
Había demasiados niños.There were too many kids.
Había un niño en la clase.There was a child in the classroom.
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