have
gb/hˈæv/ us/hˈæv/
A1
English
~ 100
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A1
state
1
to own or possess
To own or keep something.
Usage pattern:
to have [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'have' with 'there is/are' when talking about possession, e.g., 'It has a pen' instead of 'I have a pen.'
Synonyms
possess (More formal and less common in everyday conversation.)
|
own (Often used for legal or full ownership.)
Antonyms
lack (Indicates not having something that is needed or desired.)
Collocations
have a car
|have a house
|have money
|have a phone
|have a job
Themes
daily life
|business
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I have a new laptop for work.
- She has three cats at home.
- They have a small apartment in the city.
- We have enough food for the trip.
- Do you have any sugar?
Learner examples
- I have a dog.
- She has a red bag.
- We have two chairs.
- He has a new phone.
- They have a big car.
Verb
A1
action
2
to experience or undergo
To feel or go through something.
Usage pattern:
to have [an experience/event/feeling]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'have' + noun with 'be' + adjective, e.g., 'I am fun' instead of 'I have fun.'
Synonyms
experience (More formal; often used for significant events.)
Antonyms
avoid (To keep away from experiencing something.)
Collocations
have fun
|have a headache
|have a good time
|have trouble
|have an idea
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I had a great time at the party.
- She has a headache and needs to rest.
- They had trouble finding the hotel.
- We had an interesting conversation.
- He has an idea for a new project.
Learner examples
- I have a cold.
- She has a good idea.
- We have fun at school.
- He has a problem with his bike.
- They have a meeting today.
Verb
A1
action
3
to eat or drink
To eat or drink something.
Usage pattern:
to have [food/drink/meal]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes try to use 'eat' for drinks, e.g., 'I eat coffee' instead of 'I have coffee.'
Synonyms
eat (Specifically refers to food, not drink.)
|
drink (Specifically refers to liquids.)
Antonyms
fast (To not eat or drink for a period of time.)
Collocations
have breakfast
|have coffee
|have dinner
|have a sandwich
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We usually have lunch at noon.
- She had coffee with her friends.
- They are having dinner right now.
- I had a sandwich for breakfast.
- Let's have some tea.
Learner examples
- I have bread for breakfast.
- She has milk in the morning.
- We have rice for lunch.
- He has soup for dinner.
- They have water after running.
Verb
A2
action
4
to give birth to
When a woman or animal gives birth to a baby.
Usage pattern:
to have [a baby/offspring]
Synonyms
give birth to (More explicit and less casual than 'have' in this sense.)
Collocations
have a baby
|have children
Themes
family
|biology
|animals
|health
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She had her first child last year.
- Our cat had three kittens yesterday.
- They are planning to have another baby soon.
- The mare had a foal in the spring.
- He wants to have children someday.
Learner examples
- She has a baby.
- The dog has puppies.
- Our cow has a calf.
- My aunt has two children.
- They will have a baby soon.
Verb
A2
action
5
to hold an event/activity
To do or run an event or meeting.
Usage pattern:
to have [a meeting/event/activity]
Synonyms
hold ('Hold' is slightly more formal and common in business contexts.)
Collocations
have a meeting
|have a party
|have a discussion
Themes
business
|daily life
|work
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We will have a meeting tomorrow morning.
- They had a party to celebrate her birthday.
- Let's have a discussion about the plan.
- The school will have a sports day next week.
- We had lunch together after the conference.
Learner examples
- We have class today.
- They have a party on Friday.
- I have a meeting now.
- She has lunch with her friend.
- We have a test tomorrow.
Grammar
Dictionary form
have
IPA
GB/hˈæv/
US/hˈæv/
Syllables & stress
have (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (have)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: have
- 3rd Person Singular: has
- Present Participle: having
- Past: had
- Past Participle: had
Word family
Forms
has
verb
having
verb
had
verb
Negative and opposite forms
have-not
noun B2
Highlights
- Irregular 3rd person singular: has Verb
- Irregular past: had Verb
- Irregular past participle: had Verb
Expressions
have got to
1/hˈæv ɡˈɑt tə/
fixed phrase
informal
must; need to urgently
Used informally to say that something is very necessary or urgent.
Examples
- You've got to see this movie! It's amazing.
- I've got to call my mom before it gets too late.
have had enough (of)
1/hˈæv hˈæd ɪnˈʌf əv/
fixed phrase
be fed up; not tolerate more of something unpleasant
To not want to deal with something bad anymore because it has happened too much.
Examples
- I've had enough of your excuses!
- She’s had enough of working late every night.
have it in for someone
1/hˈæv ˈɪt ˈɪn fɚ sˈʌmwˌʌn/
idiom
informal
to dislike and target someone unfairly
To dislike someone and try to hurt them or make trouble for them again and again.
Examples
- The teacher really seems to have it in for me this term.
- I don't know why he has it in for her.
have on
1/hˈæv ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
to be wearing clothes/jewelry/etc.
To be wearing clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc. on your body.
Examples
- She had on a red dress for the party.
- What do you have on for the meeting?
have to
1/hˈæv tə/
fixed phrase
must; be required to do
Used to say that something is necessary or you are required to do it.
Examples
- I have to finish my homework before dinner.
- She has to wear a uniform at school.