has

has — verb

1. the form of the verb 'have' that is used with he, she, it, and other singular su

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA1
Definition

the form of the verb 'have' that is used with he, she, it, and other singular subjects — used both as a main verb (to own, possess, or experience something) and as an auxiliary verb (to form perfect tenses).

Example

Darius has a younger brother who lives in Taipei.

main verb possession: has + object

Sana has already seen that movie three times.

auxiliary: has + already + past participle

Common collocations
  • has got
  • has to
  • has been
  • has had

Grammar Patterns

has + object (main verb: possession)

has + past participle (auxiliary: present perfect)

has been + present participle (auxiliary: present perfect continuous)

Usage Note

The strong pronunciation /hæz/ is used when 'has' is stressed or appears at the end of a sentence (e.g. 'Yes, she has.'). The weak pronunciation /həz/ is the normal form used in everyday conversation (e.g. 'She /həz/ a new job.'). Use 'has' with third-person singular subjects: he, she, it, and singular noun phrases (e.g. 'the cat', 'my mother', 'this company'). Use 'have' with I, you, we, they, and plural subjects.

Common Mistakes

He have a car.
He has a car.
'has', not 'have', must follow third-person singular subjects like he, she, it.
The children has left.
The children have left.
'children' is plural, so the verb must be 'have', not 'has'.

Word family

  • have
    verbA1
  • having
    verbA1
  • had
    verbA1
  • hasn't
    verbA2

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • has to do something
  • has got something

Etymology

Old EnglishGermanicEnglish

Has comes from Old English 'hæfþ', the third-person singular present indicative of 'habban' (to have, to own). It is related to German 'hat' and Dutch 'heeft', all from the same Germanic root.