hay (from haber, never changes) introduces something new, indefinite: Hay un banco cerca. — There's a bank nearby. estar says where a known thing is: El banco está en la plaza. — The bank is on the square.
So: hay + un, una, numbers, mucho, algún; estar + el, la, mi, a name. Past: había, hubo; future: habrá — always singular: Había muchas personas (not “habían”). — There were a lot of people.
| adjective | with ser | with estar |
|---|---|---|
| listo | clever | ready |
| malo | bad, nasty | ill, gone off (food) |
| rico | rich | delicious |
| verde | green (colour) | unripe |
| vivo | lively, sharp | alive |
| despierto | alert, sharp-witted | awake |
| seguro | safe | sure (convinced) |
Translate the words from your reading, review them as flashcards and practise with gap-fill sentences.
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