Existential Constructions

Overview

Existential constructions state that something exists or is present, without identifying a specific location or possessor.

• Spanish: Uses haber in its impersonal form (hay, había, hubo). Invariant third-person singular even with plural subjects. Strictly distinguishes from location (estar) and possession (tener).
• English: Uses the dummy subject there with forms of be. Agreement is sometimes formal (there is three vs there are three). Distinguishes from it is (identification).
• Chinese: Uses 有yǒu for existence, possession, and location. The location typically precedes 有yǒu in existential constructions. Negation uses 没méi有yǒu.

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Comparison at a glance

Construction	Spanish	English	Chinese
There is a book	Hay un libro	There is a book	有yǒu一yī本běn书shū
There are books	Hay libros	There are books	有yǒu很hěn多duō书shū
There is no water	No hay agua	There is no water	没méi有yǒu水shuǐ
Was there…?	¿Había…?	Was there…?	有yǒu没méi有yǒu…？
There was an accident	Hubo un accidente	There was an accident	发fā生shēng了le一yī起qǐ事shì故gù
Once upon a time	Érase una vez	Once upon a time	从cóng前qián有yǒu…
There will be	Habrá	There will be	会huì有yǒu
There seems to be	Parece que hay	There seems to be	好hǎo像xiàng有yǒu

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Examples in context

There is a book on the table

• ES: Hay un libro en la mesa.
• EN: There is a book on the table.
• ZH: 桌zhuō子zi上shàng有yǒu一yì本běn书shū。

There was an accident

• ES: Hubo un accidente.
• EN: There was an accident.
• ZH: 发fā生shēng了le一yí起qǐ事shì故gù。

There is no problem

• ES: No hay problema.
• EN: There is no problem.
• ZH: 没méi有yǒu问wèn题tí。

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Common mistakes

1. Spanish speakers learning English: Is a book → There is a book (dummy subject required)

2. English speakers learning Spanish: Es un libro for existence → Hay un libro (use haber, not ser)

3. English speakers learning Chinese: 书shū有yǒu在zài桌zhuō子zǐ上shàng → 桌zhuō子zǐ上shàng有yǒu书shū (location precedes 有yǒu)

4. Chinese speakers learning English: Have a book on the table → There is a book on the table

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Related topics

• Existence: How existence is expressed broadly
• Copula: How linking verbs work
• Location: How spatial relations are encoded
• Impersonal: How impersonal constructions work