Breakdown of Hay un ascensor en el edificio.
un
a, an, some
en
in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)
hay
there is / there are
el edificio
the building
Questions & Answers about Hay un ascensor en el edificio.
Does hay mean "there is" or "there are"?
It actually means both! Hay is a very useful word that doesn't change depending on whether you are talking about one thing or multiple things. Since we are talking about one lift (un ascensor), it translates to "there is". If there were two lifts, you would still use the exact same word: Hay dos ascensores (There are two lifts).
How do I pronounce hay? Do I sound out the 'h'?
No, the letter 'h' is always completely silent in Spanish. You pronounce hay exactly like the English word "eye".
Does the word en always translate to "in"?
Not always. En is a very common word that can mean "in", "on", or "at" depending on the context. Here, because the lift is physically inside the building, "in" makes the most sense in English.
Are both ascensor and edificio masculine words?
Yes! We can tell because they are used with the masculine words for "a" (un) and "the" (el). If you wanted to swap them, "the lift" would be el ascensor, and "a building" would be un edificio.