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Have vs. Has: Which One to Use and When
Have goes with I/you/we/they, has goes with he/she/it. It's the irregular version of the third-person -s.
Written by Bryan López, Profesor de inglés · Updated
Have and has both mean "to possess." Have is used with I, you, we, and they (I have a car). Has is used with he, she, and it (She has a car). It's the exact same third-person rule from the Present Simple, except have is irregular: it's not "haves."
When to use have and when to use has
It follows the same rule as any other verb
In the Present Simple, he/she/it add -s to the verb (she works, she plays). Have is irregular: instead of "haves," the third-person form is has. That's the only irregularity, everything else works the same as with any other verb.
It also applies to names and singular nouns
The has rule isn't just for he/she/it, it applies to any singular third-person subject: "John has a dog." "My sister has two kids." "The house has three bedrooms."
Common mistakes with have vs. has
Saying "she have" or "he have" instead of "has," forgetting that have is irregular and doesn't follow the normal pattern of adding -s. It's also common to say "my family have" thinking of the members separately; in English, the simplest approach, and the one taught first, is to treat "family" as singular: "my family has."
The subject decides
Use "has" only with he, she, it, and any singular subject that can be replaced by one of them: "My brother has a bike" (he), "The dog has a bone" (it), "Maria has two jobs" (she). Use "have" with I, you, we, they, and all plural subjects: "The students have a test." When you are not sure, replace the subject with a pronoun and decide from there.
Practice have vs. has with real audio
Interactive exercises, real pronunciation, and the full lesson taught in English.
Have and has by subject
Questions and negatives: back to have
In questions and negatives with do or does, the verb goes back to "have" for every person: "Does she have a car?" "He doesn't have time." The "s" already appears in does or doesn't, so adding it again to the main verb is a mistake. A quick rule is: has appears only in affirmative sentences for he, she, and it.
Examples of have vs. has
- She has a meeting at ten.
- They have a big house near the beach.
- My sister has long hair.
- Do you have any questions?
- He doesn't have a car, but he has a bike.
A common mistake with have vs. has
Incorrect
She have a beautiful house.
Correct
She has a beautiful house.
Have and has in a real conversation
A: "Does your brother have a job?" B: "Yes, he has a job at a bank. And my parents have a small shop." A: "Do they have a lot of customers?" B: "Yes, it has a great location, so it is always busy."
Has in fixed phrases
Several everyday expressions use have or has in a special way: "have a good time," "have a look," "have lunch," "has a cold." "She has a cold" means she is sick, and "She has lunch at noon" describes a routine. Learning these as complete chunks helps you use the right form automatically, without translating from your language.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between have and has?
Have is used with I, you, we, they. Has is used with he, she, it, and with singular subjects in general (John has, the house has).
When do you use has?
With he, she, it, and with any singular third-person subject: proper names, a singular noun, etc.
"My family has" or "my family have"?
The simplest approach, and the one taught first, is "my family has," treating the family as a single unit. "My family have" is also heard, especially in British English, but start out always using has.
What's the difference between have, has, and had?
Have and has are present tense (have with I/you/we/they, has with he/she/it). Had is the past tense and doesn't change based on subject: I had, she had, they had.
Are "have been" and "has been" the same as have/has?
Not exactly. "Have been" and "has been" belong to a different tense (Present Perfect), more advanced than the basic use of have/has to mean "to possess."
Do have and has follow the same rule as other verbs?
Yes, the same third-person rule from the Present Simple (adding something for he/she/it), except have is irregular: the correct form is has, not "haves."
Why is it has and not haves?
Because has is an irregular form of have. English changes it for he, she, and it, but you do not add -s to the base form.
Can have also be an action verb?
Yes. "Have" is also used for actions: "I have breakfast at eight," "She has a shower every morning." The same have/has rule still applies.
How do I remember which one to use?
Think of the third person: he, she, it. Only those three take has. The rest of the subjects use have.
Do names take has or have?
One person takes has: "Carlos has a car." Two names together take have: "Carlos and Ana have a car." The subject counts, not the noun next to the verb.
Practice have vs. has with real audio
Interactive exercises, real pronunciation, and the full lesson taught in English.
Keep learning
- Have Got: What It Means and How It's Different from Have"Have got" means exactly the same as "have" (to possess), it just changes the structure of questions and negatives.
- Present Simple in English: Affirmative, Negative, and Questions (Full Guide)The tense for habits, routines, and general facts, with the rule almost everyone forgets: the -s on he/she/it.
- Subject Pronouns: The Complete List, Rules, and ExamplesThe 7 words that go before the verb in English, explained with examples and the mistakes learners make most often.