Opens in a new tab

Haber preterite conjugation

Haber in the preterite: hube, hubiste, hubo, hubimos, hubisteis, hubieron.

  • to have (auxiliary); there is / there are
  • irregular
  • Participle: habido
  • Gerund: habiendo

Preterite pretérito

yohube
túhubiste
él/ella/ustedhubo
nosotroshubimos
vosotroshubisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedeshubieron

How to use haber in the preterite

The preterite of haber (hube, hubo, hubieron) is mostly used in the impersonal form hubo, "there was" for a single event: an accident, a meeting, a problem. It stays singular even with plural nouns: "Hubo varios problemas." The auxiliary forms (hube terminado) belong to a literary tense you can recognize but rarely need to produce.

Examples

  • Hubo un apagón en todo el edificio.

    There was a blackout in the whole building.

  • Hubo muchas preguntas después de la presentación.

    There were a lot of questions after the presentation.

  • ¿Hubo algún problema con el envío?

    Was there any problem with the shipment?

Quick check: haber in the preterite

1. nosotros · Preterite of haber
2. vosotros · Preterite of haber
3. tú · Preterite of haber
4. yo · Preterite of haber
5. él/ella/usted · Preterite of haber

More haber tenses

Other verbs in the preterite

Know your verbs, now find your level

Take a free placement test and get your CEFR level, then follow the grammar lessons that fit it.

Find your level