Learn Spanish (Latin America): Hay un restaurante en el barco.

In Spanish, the preposition en is very versatile. While English uses different words for 'in', 'on', or 'at' depending on the surface or enclosure, Spanish simply uses en for general location. Since the restaurant is located on the ship, en is the right choice.

Does en have a special rule for vehicles like el barco?

Yes! When talking about modes of transportation, Spanish almost always uses en. You can travel en barco (by ship), en tren (by train), or en avión (by plane). In this sentence, en tells us the restaurant is physically on board that mode of transport.

What exactly is hay in this sentence?

Hay translates to 'there is' or 'there are'. It is a very common word because it states that something exists. The best part is that it does not change form for plural items. If there were two restaurants on the ship, you would still use hay and simply say hay dos restaurantes.

Is el barco used for all types of boats?

El barco is the most common word for ships and large boats. If you are talking about a small rowboat or a little motorboat, you will often hear the word el bote instead.