Differences between Have and See
In the Spanish language, some words are pronounced in a similar way even though their spelling and meaning are different, as is the case of -haber- and -a ver-. These are two words that are often confused in some texts even though the writer’s intention is correct. It is important to point out that in Spanish, the pronunciation of the letter –B– differs from the pronunciation of the letter -V-, therefore, the confusion is usually less common than in the case of Spanish where both letters are pronounced the same.
In this sense, in this article we are going to differentiate both terms, presenting their definitions and characteristics so that the reader can know in detail the uses and applications of each of them.
To have
Mainly, -have- is a word that in the Spanish language can have two main uses: as a verb and as a noun. As a verb, -have- is used as an auxiliary verb followed by a participle to form the compound infinitives of the conjugation as in the phrase -He must have missed classes-. Also, it is used as an impersonal infinitive that indicates the presence or existence of what is designated by the noun that accompanies it, as in the example -In your house there must be a lot of money-, where it can be seen that it refers to the existence of something, in this case money.
Likewise, as a verb it can also introduce the obligation to carry out the action expressed by the infinitive: -I have to go to the doctor”. In addition, it can indicate that something will happen: -There may be a storm tonight-. On the other hand, as a masculine noun it refers to the set of assets or assets of a person, as in the following sentences: -In his possession he had many titles- and -He has many assets in his account-, where both refer to assets and/or flows that a person possesses.
Let’s see
In a nutshell, -a ver- is a phrase made up of the preposition -a- and the infinitive of the verb -ver- and is used in the following cases:
- To ask another person to let us see something: -That’s a photo album, let’s see?-.
- To make a certain expectation clear: -Let’s see when you come to the house-.
- To make a call for attention: – Let’s see, why didn’t you come to dinner? -.
- As a conditional to express either expectation, curiosity, interest, challenge, fear or suspicion and desire or mandate: -Let’s see if you bring me what I’ve asked for!-.
As can be seen in the specifications presented, -haber- and -a ver- are words and phrases whose meaning is completely different, despite the fact that their pronunciation in Spanish is very similar, highlighting that in the case of Spanish, where no makes a distinction in the pronunciation of the labial –B- and the labidental –V-, being exactly the same. In this sense, the most important differences between the word have and the phrase to see are:
- -Haber- is a single word while a ver is a phrase made up of two words, the preposition -a- and the infinitive of the verb -ver-.
- -Haber- can be a verb or a noun while -a ver- has different uses and applications, mostly to express certain actions or as a conditional.