The Subjunctive Mood of Haber is used to express wishes, desires, doubts, or uncertainties about something that has happened or may happen, for example: Ojalá haya llegado a tiempo. (I hope he/she has arrived on time.)

Haber is an irregular verb in the Subjunctive Mood, meaning its conjugations do not follow a set pattern and must be memorized individually.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Haber (there is/there are (auxiliary)) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Castilian Spanish):

Haber generally means “to have”, but has several different meanings in the Subjunctive Mood, some of which might surprise you.

Expressing Existence: Used to indicate that something exists or is present, for example, Que haya suficiente comida para todos (That there be enough food for everyone).

Expressing Obligation: Used to convey that something must be done, for example, Es necesario que haya orden en la clase (It is necessary that there be order in the class).

Expressing Possibility: Used to indicate that something is possible or likely, for example, Es posible que haya retrasos debido a las obras (It is possible that there be delays due to the construction works).

Expressing Doubt: Used to express doubt or uncertainty about something, for example, Dudo que haya suficientes entradas para todos (I doubt that there be enough tickets for everyone).

Expressing Desire: Used to express a desire or wish for something to happen, for example, Ojalá que haya buena suerte para todos (Hopefully there be good luck for everyone).

Expressing Impersonal Statements: Used in impersonal statements, often with expressions like es importante or es necesario, for example, Es importante que haya respeto mutuo (It is important that there be mutual respect).

Colloquial Usage: In informal contexts, haber can be used in expressions like ¡Que haya fiesta! (Let there be a party!) or ¡Que no haya bronca! (Don’t let there be any trouble!).

Examples

Examples of Haber in the Subjunctive Mood

Espero que mi hijo haya llegado a casa antes de la tormenta. (I hope my son made it home before the storm.)

Aunque no lo creas, es importante que haya reglas en la casa. (Even if you don’t believe it, it’s important that there are rules in the house.)

El jefe quiere que todos hayan terminado el proyecto antes del viernes. (The boss wants everyone to have finished the project before Friday.)

Ojalá que mi amigo haya encontrado un buen trabajo. (I hope my friend has found a good job.)

Es una lástima que no haya más oportunidades así. (It’s a shame there aren’t more opportunities like that.)

Tal vez haya una manera de resolver este problema. (Maybe there’s a way to solve this problem.)

Dudo que mi vecino haya escuchado los ruidos anoche. (I doubt my neighbor heard the noises last night.)

Es fundamental que todos hayan entendido las instrucciones antes de comenzar. (It’s essential that everyone has understood the instructions before starting.)

Cuando viajo, prefiero que mi hotel haya estado recomendado por amigos. (When I travel, I prefer that my hotel has been recommended by friends.)

Es una pena que no haya más programas de intercambio cultural. (It’s a pity there aren’t more cultural exchange programs.)

Aunque cueste creerlo, es mejor que haya un poco de controversia de vez en cuando. (Hard as it is to believe, it’s better that there’s a bit of controversy from time to time.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Haber (there is/there are (auxiliary)) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Subjunctive mood is also known as the Simple Subjunctive, Subjunctive Present, or Present Subjunctive Mood in English, and as Presente de Subjuntivo, Subjuntivo Presente, Presente del Modo Subjuntivo, or Tiempo Presente del Subjuntivo in Spanish.