haber

haber(
ah
-
behr
)
An auxiliary verb, or helper verb, is a conjugated verb that comes before a main verb and determines the main verb's tense, mood, or aspect (e.g., I have gone.).
auxiliary verb
a. to have
Nunca habían ido a Costa Rica antes del verano pasado.They had never been to Costa Rica before last summer.
a. to have to
He de ir al trabajo el sábado.I have to go into work on Saturday.
b. must
Has de hacer tu tarea esta noche.You must do your homework tonight.
An impersonal verb is a verb with no apparent subject (e.g., Llueve en España.).
impersonal verb
a. to be (used with "there")
No hay azúcar.There is no sugar.
No hubo tiempo para saludar a todos en la fiesta.There wasn't enough time to say hi to everyone at the party.
a. must
Hay que lavar todos los platos después de cenar.We must wash all the dishes after dinner.
b. should
Hay que hacer reservaciones para el hotel.We should make reservations for the hotel.
a.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
No sé si habrá tiempo para comer algo.I don't know if there will be enough time to eat something.
Tiempo ha del terremoto.The earthquake occurred a long time ago.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
transitive verb
a. to bear
Los hijos habidos de la aventura no fueron reconocidos por su padre.The children borne of the affair were not recognized by their father.
a.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
El espectáculo habido esta semana está completamente vendido.This week's performance is totally sold out.
El accidente habido ayer resultó en dos fatalidades.Yesterday's accident resulted in two fatalities.
A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
masculine noun
a. asset
Su haber consistía en la empresa familiar y dos mansiones.Her assets consist of the family business and two mansions.
a. credit side
El total del deber y del haber tienen que ser iguales.The debit and credit side totals must be equal.
a. credit
Tiene tres artículos publicados a su haber.She has three published articles to her credit.
los haberes
A plural noun indicates that there is more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
plural noun
a. earnings
Todavía no me han pagado los haberes del mes pasado.I still haven't been paid last month's earnings.
haberse
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
pronominal verb
a. to have it out with somebody
Se las va a haber con su hermano si no paran de discutir.He's going to have it out with his brother if they don't stop arguing.
Copyright © 2025 Curiosity Media Inc.
Vocabulary Lists
See more lists
Examples
Phrases
Machine Translators
Translate haber using machine translators
Conjugations
Why use the SpanishDictionary.com dictionary?

THE BEST SPANISH-ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Get More than a Translation

Get conjugations, examples, and pronunciations for millions of words and phrases in Spanish and English.

WRITTEN BY EXPERTS

Translate with Confidence

Access millions of accurate translations written by our team of experienced English-Spanish translators.

SPANISH AND ENGLISH EXAMPLE SENTENCES

Examples for Everything

Search millions of Spanish-English example sentences from our dictionary, TV shows, and the internet.

REGIONAL TRANSLATIONS

Say It like a Local

Browse Spanish translations from Spain, Mexico, or any other Spanish-speaking country.
Word of the Day
to spend the summer