HAY vs AHÍ
Today we will learn the difference between two Spanish words that sound really similar: hay and ahí.
Hay is an impersonal form of the verb haber that expresses that something exists or is available (= there is/are in English). The collocation hay que highlights a particular obligation. Take a look at the following examples of usage:
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- Hay fresas en la nevera [There are some strawberries in the fridge]
- Hay que hacer los deberes todos los días [You have to do your homework everyday]
Ahí (with an accent on the i) is an adverb of location that refers to an object that is at a moderate or medium distance from where we are. In English, it would be there. Other demonstrative adverbs in Spanish are aquí (here), ahí (there), allí, and allá (there/over there), ordered from shorter to longer distance. Examples of ahí in a sentence:
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- Miguel dejó sus libros ahí y se fue [Miguel left his books there and left]
- Su comida está ahí [Your food is there/over there]
But ahí has another meaning too: then (meaning en ese momento). For example:
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- Fue ahí cuando me di cuenta de que mi esposa me engañaba [It was then when I realized my wife was cheating on me]
