There Is / There Are — Existence Statements
Hindi uses है/हैं for existence; English needs 'there is/are'
Category: Grammar
The Rule
'There is/are' introduces existence of something. 'There is a book on the table.' Hindi simply uses है/हैं: 'मेज़ पर किताब है' (table on book is).
Why This Matters
Hindi: 'कमरे में तीन कुर्सियाँ हैं' (room in three chairs are). English: 'There are three chairs in the room.' Hindi doesn't need 'there' — English does. Hindi speakers produce 'In room three chairs are' or 'Three chairs are in the room' (grammatical but less natural for introducing new information).
Examples
• There is a park near my house. — "मेरे घर के पास एक पार्क है।" [There is + singular: 'a park'] • There are many students in the class. — "कक्षा में बहुत से छात्र हैं।" [There are + plural: 'many students'] • There is some milk in the fridge. — "फ्रिज में कुछ दूध है।" [There is + uncountable: 'some milk']
Common Mistakes
❌ In the room is three chairs. ✅ There are three chairs in the room. → English uses 'There is/are' to introduce existence. Direct Hindi word order doesn't work here. ❌ There is many people here. ✅ There are many people here. → 'Many people' is plural → 'There ARE', not 'There IS'.
Quick Tip
When introducing something that EXISTS in a place, use 'There is/are...' first. This is the natural English way to present new information.
When introducing something that EXISTS in a place, use 'There is/are...' first. This is the natural English way to present new information.
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: In the room is three chairs. → Correct: There are three chairs in the room.. English uses 'There is/are' to introduce existence. Direct Hindi word order doesn't work here.
Incorrect: There is many people here. → Correct: There are many people here.. 'Many people' is plural → 'There ARE', not 'There IS'.
Quiz
Which is correct?