What does ‘Have Got’ mean?

Have got is a common way to express possession in English. It means to own something, to have a relationship, or to have a particular characteristic.

It is very popular in everyday conversations. You will hear it often when native speakers talk about things they own or people in their family.

How do we form positive sentences with 'Have Got'?

To make a positive sentence with have got, we use the subject, then have oppure has, and then got.

• For I, You, We, They, we use have got.
• For He, She, It, we use has got.

We often use short forms in speaking and informal writing:

• I have got becomes I've got.
• He has got becomes He's got.

How do we form negative sentences with 'Have Got'?

To make a negative sentence, we add not between have/has e got.

• For I, You, We, They, we use have not got.
• For He, She, It, we use has not got.

The short forms are very common:

• I have not got becomes I haven't got.
• He has not got becomes He hasn't got.

How do we ask questions with 'Have Got'?

Per porre una domanda, inseriamo Have oppure Has prima del soggetto.

• Have I got...?
• Has he got...?

For short answers, we use Yes, I have. oppure No, I haven't. (without got).

When do we use 'Have Got'?

Utilizziamo have got for several situations:

• Possession: To say what you own.
• Relationships: To talk about family or friends.
• Characteristics: To describe what someone or something looks like.
• Illnesses: To talk about health problems.

Ricordate, have got is very similar to just have for these meanings. Both are correct, but have got is often preferred in informal English.

Esempi

• I've got a new phone.
• She has got two brothers.
• They haven't got much time.
• Have you got a pen?
• He's got blue eyes.
• We've got a big house.
• Has it got a long tail?
• I haven't got any money.

Esercitazione

Errori comuni per chi parla spagnolo

Errori comuni per chi parla spagnolo

Spanish speakers sometimes make specific mistakes when using have got because of differences with 'tener'.

• Utilizzo di do/does con have got: In Spanish, you don't use an auxiliary verb like 'do' with 'tener'. However, with have got, have is already the auxiliary verb. So, do not use do oppure does for questions or negatives with have got.
• Errato: Do you have got a car?
• Corretto: Have you got a car?
• Dimenticare got: While I have a car is correct, if you want to use the have got structure, remember to include got.
• Errato: She has a new job? (if you mean has got)
• Corretto: Has she got a new job?

Domande frequenti

What is the difference between 'have' and 'have got' for possession?

For possession, have e have got mean the same thing. Have got is more common in informal, spoken British English. Have is more common in American English and formal contexts. Both are correct: I have a car. e I have got a car.

Can I use 'have got' for actions?

No, you cannot use have got for actions. For actions, you only use have. For example, you say I have breakfast every day. (action), not I have got breakfast every day.

Is 'have got' formal or informal?

Have got is generally informal. It is very common in everyday conversation. For more formal writing or speaking, it is often better to use just have.

How do I make a short answer with 'have got'?

For short answers, you use Yes, I have. oppure No, I haven't. You do not include got in the short answer. For example: Have you got a pet? Yes, I have.

Lezioni correlate

• Have got
• Have got
• Have got
• Have got