Breakdown of ¿Hay un hotel en la calle?
un
a, an (masculine)
en
in / on / at
haber
to be (there is / there are)
el hotel
the hotel
la calle
the street
Questions & Answers about ¿Hay un hotel en la calle?
Why do we use hay here instead of está?
We use hay (is there / are there) when we are asking about the existence of something unspecific. Because we are asking if a hotel exists on the street (un hotel), we use hay. If we were asking where the specific hotel is, we would use está (for example, ¿Dónde está el hotel?).
Why does en mean "on" here instead of "in"?
In Spanish, the preposition en is very versatile and can mean "in", "on", or "at" depending on the context. Since a building is located "on" a street, en la calle translates naturally to "on the street" in English.
Do I pronounce the 'h' in hotel?
No, the letter 'h' is always silent in Spanish. You pronounce hotel as if it were spelled "otel".
How do I know this is a question if the words are in the same order as a statement?
In Spanish, you do not need helping words like "is" or "do" at the very start of a sentence to make it a question. The statement Hay un hotel (There is a hotel) becomes a question simply by adding the upside-down and regular question marks in writing, and making your voice go up at the end when speaking: ¿Hay un hotel? (Is there a hotel?).
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