Dónde hay / Dónde está

Cada día un poco de práctica (Every day a little practice):

Dónde hay / Dónde está

Use “dónde hay” for a general or non definite question.
Examples (Notice the usage of the indefinite article):
¿Dónde hay una farmacia? = Where is a pharmacy? = Where can I find a pharmacy?
¿Dónde hay una ferretería? = Where is a hardware store? = Where can I find a hardware store?
¿Dónde hay una cerrajería? = Where is a locksmith’s shop? = Where can I find a locksmith’s shop?
Is it possible to say “¿Dónde está una farmacia?” Yes, but it does not sound natural to native speakers.
Use “dónde está” for a specific or definite question.
Examples (Notice the usage of the definite article):
¿Dónde está la farmacia más cercana? = Where is the nearest pharmacy? = Where is located the nearest pharmacy?
¿Dónde está la ferretería Martínez? = Where is Martinez’s hardware shop? = Where is located Martinez’s hardware shop?
¿Dónde está la cerrajería donde compraste este candado? = Where is the locksmith’s shop where you bought this padlock? = Where is located the locksmith’s shop where you bought this padlock?
Is it possible to say “¿Dónde hay la farmacia más cercana?" No. Native speakers never say that.
Use “dónde hay” when asking for more or for less.
Examples:
¿Dónde hay más detergente? = Where is there more detergent?
¿Dónde hay menos ruido? = Where is there less noise?
Is it possible to say “¿Dónde está más detergente?” No. Although you can modify a sentence with the structure ‘hay + más/menos + noun’ with this one ‘está + más/menos + adjective’.
Example:
Ellos se sentaron donde hay menos ruido = They sat where there is less noise
Ellos se sentaron donde está menos ruidoso = They sat where it is less noisy


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