Log inSign up

Hay una radio en la sala.

Hay una radio en la sala.
There is a radio in the living room.
From Lesson 15:Hay vs. estar·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Hay una radio en la sala.

Why do we use hay here instead of a form of estar?
We use hay (there is / there are) to talk about the existence of something unspecific, like una radio (a radio). If we wanted to talk about where a specific radio is located, we would use estar. For example: La radio está en la sala (The radio is in the living room).
Why is it una radio? Doesn't the "-o" ending usually mean a word is masculine?
Usually, words ending in "-o" are masculine, but radio is an exception! It is actually a shortened form of the word radiodifusión, which is feminine. Because it is a feminine noun, it takes the feminine article una.
Does en mean "in" or "on"?
The preposition en is very flexible and can mean "in", "on", or "at" depending on the context. Here, en la sala means "in the living room".
Is the "h" in hay silent?
Yes! In Spanish, the letter "h" is always silent. The word hay is pronounced exactly like the English word "eye".

Learn Hay una radio en la sala and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →