Haver
The use of this verb spans from indicating existence or occurrence to forming compound tenses. Here's an overview of its primary uses:
To indicate the existence or occurrence
When indicating existence, ‘haver’ is impersonal — lacking a subject — and so it appears in the 3rd person singular form across various tenses, even if it refers to more than one thing:
- Present ➔ ‘Há’ for ‘there is / there are’ and for time elapsed.
- 📖 Há um livro na mesa. (There is a book on the table.)
- 🗓️ Há dois anos que não o vejo. (I haven't seen him for two years.)
- Preterite ➔ ‘Houve’ for ‘there was / were’ at a particular moment in time.
- 🌧️ Houve uma tempestade ontem. (There was a storm yesterday.)
- Imperfect past ➔ ‘Havia’ for ‘there was / there were’ or ‘there used to be.’
- 🌳 Antes havia árvores aqui. (Before, there were trees here.)
- Future ➔ ‘Haverá’ for ‘there will be.’
- 🎉 Haverá uma festa na sexta-feira. (There will be a party on Friday.)
- Present Subjunctive ➔ ‘Haja’ for ‘there is / there are’ when it’s a hope or hypothetical situation in the present time.
- 🌿 Espero que haja comida vegetariana. (I hope there's vegetarian food.)
- Imperfect subjunctive ➔ ‘Houvesse’ for ‘there was / there were’ when it is a possibility or a desire.
- ✈️ Gostava que houvesse um hotel perto do aeroporto. (I wish there was a hotel near the airport.)
- Future Subjunctive ➔ ‘Houver’ for ‘there is / there are’ when it is a future possibility.
- 🎶 Ficaremos na festa se houver boa música. (We'll stay at the party if there's good music.)
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