English verbs have and has: when are they used?

Have and has mean the same thing: tener in Spanish, but they are words that are used in different cases. Have is an irregular verb, so its form changes depending on the pronoun with which it is used. In the present tense, if the sentence uses he, she or it, the verb have must be replaced by has.

In which cases are have and has used?

Have is used with the pronouns I, you, you, we, they (yo, tú/ustedes, nosotros, ellos).

Has is used with the pronouns he, she, it (él, ella, eso).

Meaning of the verb have

Have is a verb meaning to have. It can be found as a main verb or as an auxiliary verb. In this post we focus on the use of have, as a main verb, for sentences in the present simple tense.

Have and has to refer to possessing

Have and has can be used with the sense of belonging, of owning tangible things such as a house or a car, but also intangible things such as luck, life and security, among others, for example, Yo tengo un carro = I have a car

Have to and has to refer to obligations.

Así como en español, have también se puede utilizar cuando se habla acerca de obligaciones. Para usarlo en este sentido, se le agrega la palabra to, for example: Él tiene que irse = He has to go.

How has and have are used when the pronoun is not obvious.

Sometimes you will hear or read sentences in English in which you cannot tell whether the sentence refers to you, I, he, etc. In this case, you should ask yourself what the subject is, i.e. who is doing the action or who is being talked about, for example: Mi abuela tiene muchas amigas = My(she) grandmother has many Friends, El universo tiene sonidos = The universe has sounds.

Keep practicing your writing and, if you have the chance, practice your speaking with someone else. You will notice how it will become easier and easier to use irregular verbs in a natural way.