having
having — verb
1. to own or hold something as your property, or to be the person who controls or m
to own or hold something as your property, or to be the person who controls or makes use of an idea, right, or skill — for example, having a bicycle, having a strong opinion, or having the freedom to choose.
Sivan has two old bicycles parked behind the kitchen door.
have + concrete object
The Okonkwo family has a small farm just outside Lagos.
have + property as subject of family
Felix has the right to leave work at five o'clock.
have + abstract noun (right, freedom)
Noor has very clear ideas about how to teach young children.
have + ideas/opinions
Do you have a pencil I can borrow for the test?
question form: do you have…?
- have a car
- have an idea
- have a right
- have a chance
- lack
to not have something needed or expected.
Grammar Patterns
have + noun phrase
Usage Note
The most basic sense of 'have'. In British English, 'have got' is very common in the present tense ('She has got a car'); American English prefers plain 'have'.
Common Mistakes
2. to show a particular feature, part, or quality as part of what someone or someth
to show a particular feature, part, or quality as part of what someone or something is — for example, a house having three bedrooms, or a person having brown eyes.
Ishaan has bright green eyes and very long eyelashes.
have + physical feature
The old village church has a tall stone tower above the entrance.
have + structural part of a building
Hana has the patience to teach beginners step by step.
have + character quality
This phone has a much better camera than my last one.
have + product feature
Tamás has a soft accent that you can only just notice.
have + descriptive trait
- have blue eyes
- have a feature
- have patience
- have an accent
Grammar Patterns
have + noun phrase describing a part or quality
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1: here 'have' describes a built-in trait or part, not something acquired or owned. Subject can be a person, animal, place, or object.
3. to be sick with a particular illness or to feel a particular pain in your body —
to be sick with a particular illness or to feel a particular pain in your body — for example, having the flu, having a headache, or having a sore throat.
Quan has a bad cold and stayed home from school today.
have + common minor illness
Kofi has a sharp pain in his lower back after lifting boxes all morning.
have + a pain in [body part]
About half the class had the flu during exam week.
have + serious illness (past)
Isabela has had asthma since she was a small child.
have + long-term condition (present perfect)
Do you have a headache, or is the light too bright?
have + pain (question)
- have a cold
- have the flu
- have a headache
- have a fever
- suffer from
more formal; often used for ongoing or serious illness.
Grammar Patterns
have + illness name
Usage Note
Usually stative and not used in the continuous, EXCEPT for short or unusual experiences ('she's having a migraine right now'). Distinguish from sense 9: 'have a headache' is illness/pain; 'have a strange experience' is experience.
Common Mistakes
4. to do the action named by the following noun — for example, having a shower mean
to do the action named by the following noun — for example, having a shower means to shower, and having a look means to look. The noun carries the real meaning.
Aoi is having a quick shower before she leaves for work.
have + a + activity noun, with continuous tense
Let's have a short walk in the park after lunch.
have + walk (suggestion)
Rohan had a long swim in the river before breakfast.
past tense + duration adjective
Can I have a look at your new phone for a second?
have a look (very common request)
Élise had a long chat with her grandmother on the train.
have + a chat (delexical)
- have a shower
- have a look
- have a walk
- have a chat
- have a rest
- take
in American English, 'take a shower' / 'take a walk' is more common than 'have'.
Grammar Patterns
have + a + activity noun (have a shower, have a look)
Usage Note
Called 'delexical have'. Common pattern in everyday spoken English. Unlike sense 1, this sense IS often used in the continuous ('She's having a bath'). The noun after 'have' is usually count and takes 'a'.
5. to put food or drink into your mouth and take it in — for example, coffee in the
to put food or drink into your mouth and take it in — for example, coffee in the morning, lunch at noon, or a slice of cake at a party.
Christopher is having toast and coffee at the kitchen table.
have + food + drink, continuous
We usually have dinner around seven on weekday evenings.
have + meal name
Emily had a small slice of birthday cake after the song.
have + countable food item (past)
Would you like to have some green tea with the dessert?
have + drink in offer/question
Brandon never has breakfast before his morning run.
negative habit with 'never'
- have breakfast
- have lunch
- have dinner
- have coffee
- have a snack
Grammar Patterns
have + food/drink noun
Usage Note
Unlike possession sense 1, this sense IS used in the continuous ('We are having dinner now'). Use 'a/an' or 'some' before count or uncount food nouns the same way you would with 'eat' or 'drink'.
6. to be given something, to take something that is offered, or to let something ha
to be given something, to take something that is offered, or to let something happen — for example, having a letter from a friend, having permission to leave early, or having a guest stay for the weekend.
Evelyn had a long email from her old teacher last night.
receive + communication
Faisal had the manager's permission to leave at noon.
have + permission (formal allowance)
We are having Sivan's parents to stay for the weekend.
have + guests (continuous, future plan)
I won't have that kind of language at the dinner table.
negative: refuse to allow
Could I have your phone number so the doctor can call you back?
polite request: could I have…?
- have a letter
- have permission
- have a guest
- have a request
- refuse
to actively say no to what is offered.
Grammar Patterns
have + noun (often from someone)
Usage Note
Object is usually something coming to the subject from outside (a letter, a guest, permission, a request). The negative form 'won't have it' often means 'will not allow'.
7. to arrange a service in which another person performs an action for you, or to m
to arrange a service in which another person performs an action for you, or to make a person or thing be in a particular state — for example, your hair cut by a hairdresser, or children sitting down on the rug.
Isabela had her front door painted dark blue last weekend.
have + object + past participle (causative)
The teacher had the children sit in a wide circle on the rug.
have + person + bare infinitive
Aoi is having her broken glasses fixed at the shop downtown.
continuous causative for service
Kofi had two of his teeth pulled out at the dental clinic.
causative for medical procedure
Mr. Tamás had the new students introduce themselves to the class.
have + group + bare infinitive (instruction)
- have your hair cut
- have something fixed
- have someone do something
Grammar Patterns
have + object + past participle
have + person + bare infinitive
Usage Note
Two patterns: 'have + object + past participle' (arrange a service) and 'have + person + bare infinitive' (make/get someone to do something). Distinguish from sense 6: causative 'have' usually has an action complement (cut, sit), not just a noun.
Common Mistakes
8. to be the person to whom an unwanted action happens, often described with a noun
to be the person to whom an unwanted action happens, often described with a noun and a past participle — for example, having your bag stolen, or having your name spelled wrong.
Noor had her backpack stolen on the bus to school.
have + object + past participle (bad event)
Hana had her car scratched in the supermarket car park.
unwanted damage to property
The Okonkwo family had their roof blown off during the storm.
have + object + past participle, weather damage
Felix had his name spelled wrong on the diploma.
minor unwanted result
Ishaan had his phone taken away by the teacher during the test.
unwanted action by an authority figure
- have something stolen
- have something damaged
- have something taken away
- suffer
more formal; emphasises the negative effect on the person.
- experience
neutral; does not stress whether the event was wanted.
Grammar Patterns
have + object + past participle (passive sense)
Usage Note
Same surface pattern as the causative (sense 7), but the meaning is different: here the subject does NOT arrange the action — it happens to them, usually as something bad. Tone of voice in spoken English signals which sense is meant.
9. to live through a particular event, feeling, or period of time — for example, ha
to live through a particular event, feeling, or period of time — for example, having a good day, having fun at a party, or having a strange dream.
Rohan had a wonderful time camping with his cousins last summer.
have + a [adj] time (very common pattern)
Isabela is having a difficult week at the new hospital.
continuous: ongoing experience
Élise had a very strange dream about flying over the city.
have + dream
The whole class had a lot of fun at the science museum.
have + fun
Christopher is having serious trouble with the new accounting software.
have + trouble/problem with
- have fun
- have a good time
- have a problem
- have a dream
- experience
more formal; often in writing about feelings or events.
- go through
informal; often used for long or difficult experiences.
Grammar Patterns
have + experience noun (time, fun, problem, dream)
Usage Note
Unlike possession sense 1, experience 'have' IS used in the continuous ('She's having a great time'). Distinguish from sense 3: 'have a headache' is bodily pain (sense 3); 'have a strange experience' or 'have a good time' is sense 9.
10. to bring a baby out of one's body during childbirth — for example, a woman deliv
to bring a baby out of one's body during childbirth — for example, a woman delivering a baby boy at the hospital.
Hana had a baby boy at the city hospital on Sunday morning.
have + a baby (most common form)
Isabela had twins after a very long labour.
have + twins
Emily had her second daughter at home, with a midwife present.
ordinal: second daughter
Noor had her first child when she was twenty-three.
have + first child + age
- have a baby
- have twins
- have a child
- give birth to
more formal or medical.
- deliver
medical register; often used of doctors or midwives, not the mother.
Grammar Patterns
have + a baby / twins / a child
Usage Note
Subject is the mother. Distinguish from sense 11 (be pregnant): 'is having a baby' can mean either 'is pregnant' OR 'is giving birth right now' — context decides.
11. to be pregnant with a child — typically expressed in the continuous form, as in
to be pregnant with a child — typically expressed in the continuous form, as in someone announcing they are having a baby in the spring.
Aoi and her partner are having a baby in early spring.
continuous form for pregnancy announcement
Evelyn is having twins, the doctor said at the last scan.
continuous + twins
When are you having the baby? Sometime in July?
polite question about due date
The neighbours mentioned that Hana is having another child next year.
third-person continuous
- be having a baby
- be having twins
- be pregnant with
direct and clear; common in medical contexts.
- be expecting
polite; often used without specifying 'a baby'.
Grammar Patterns
be having + a baby
Usage Note
Almost always in the continuous ('is having a baby'), unlike sense 10 which is usually simple past ('had a baby'). The continuous signals pregnancy or an expected birth, not the moment of delivery.
12. to engage in sexual intercourse with another person — used as a short, slightly
to engage in sexual intercourse with another person — used as a short, slightly blunt way of describing this, mostly heard in older novels or in modern slang.
In the old novel, the soldier boasts that he has had many women.
literary / older usage
Faisal claimed in court that he had never had her, despite the rumours.
formal denial in court, archaic register
Modern readers find the line 'I'll have you tonight' rather crude.
meta-comment on register
The Victorian novel hints that the duke has had the maid more than once.
literary euphemism in historical fiction
- have someone (sexual sense)
- sleep with
standard informal; far more common today.
- have sex with
direct, neutral; preferred in modern writing.
Grammar Patterns
have + person (object pronoun)
Usage Note
Rare in modern everyday speech; sounds either old-fashioned or rude. Most speakers say 'sleep with' or 'have sex with' instead. Often flagged as offensive when used about a woman.
Common Mistakes
13. to be connected to another person in a family, work, or social role — for exampl
to be connected to another person in a family, work, or social role — for example, having two younger sisters, having a strict boss, or having a regular customer.
Quan has two younger sisters and one older brother at home.
have + family member
Faisal has a very strict boss who checks every email twice.
have + boss with descriptive clause
The small bakery has many regular customers from the neighbourhood.
business: have + customers
Élise has a kind doctor who always explains things slowly.
have + doctor (service relationship)
Brandon has a close friend in every city he has lived in.
have + friend + scope
- have a sister
- have a boss
- have a friend
- have a customer
Grammar Patterns
have + relationship noun (a sister, a boss, a customer)
Usage Note
Subject and object are linked by a social role (family, work, friendship, service). Like sense 1, this is stative — avoid the -ing form ('I am having two sisters' is wrong).
Common Mistakes
14. to become the owner or holder of something, especially in a formal offer, an agr
to become the owner or holder of something, especially in a formal offer, an agreement, or older writing — for example, 'you shall have my answer tomorrow' meaning you will get my answer tomorrow.
The buyer shall have the keys upon signing the final contract.
formal contract: shall have
You shall have my full answer by Friday evening, I promise.
formal promise: shall have + noun
In older novels, characters say 'I will have that book' to mean they intend to buy it.
literary register; meta-comment
Tamás finally had a clear written reply from the embassy.
past tense + obtain after delay
- shall have
- will have
- have an answer
- have a reply
- lose
to stop having something.
Grammar Patterns
have + noun (used in offers, contracts, or older texts)
Usage Note
In modern everyday English, 'get', 'obtain', or 'receive' are far more common. This sense survives mainly in contracts, formal speech, and literary style.
having — noun
1. a person who owns a lot of money or property, usually mentioned in contrast with
a person who owns a lot of money or property, usually mentioned in contrast with poorer people — almost always in the set phrase 'the haves and the have-nots'.
The article describes a wide gap between the haves and the have-nots in modern Lagos.
the haves and the have-nots (fixed contrast pair)
Sivan argued that tax policy should not only protect the haves.
the haves as a political group
In every city, the haves cluster in a handful of expensive neighbourhoods.
general statement, plural subject
Felix grew up among the haves but later worked with rural farmers for years.
biographical, contrast use
- the haves and the have-nots
- among the haves
- the rich
more direct and more common in everyday speech.
- the wealthy
slightly more formal than 'the rich'; common in writing.
- have-nots
the standard partner term; people without wealth.
Grammar Patterns
the haves vs. the have-nots
Usage Note
Almost always plural and almost always paired with 'have-nots'. Rare to see 'a have' on its own; the meaning lives in the contrast. Common in journalism and academic writing about inequality.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four verbs cover the idea that someone is connected to something as theirs, but they differ in formality and the kind of object they take. 'Have' is the most general and the most common in everyday speech — 'I have a car' fits any register from casual to neutral. 'Own' adds the idea of legal title; 'I own a car' suggests the paperwork is in your name, while 'I have a car' may just mean you drive one. 'Possess' is markedly formal; it is common in writing about abilities and qualities ('she possesses great patience') and in legal language about physical objects ('possessing illegal drugs'). 'Hold' is narrower still: it pairs with positions, titles, records, and accounts ('hold a degree', 'hold the world record', 'hold a bank account'). For everyday Taiwan-learner contexts, choose 'have' unless you specifically need the formality of 'possess' or the legal weight of 'own'.
Common collocations
Nouns
- have time
- have money
- have a chance
- have a problem
Adverbs
- already have
- still have
- never have
Phrases
- have got
- have to (must)
- have a go
- have done with
Prepositions
- have on (be wearing)
- have for (own for a period)
Etymology
From Old English 'habban', meaning to hold or possess, related to similar verbs in other old Germanic languages such as Old Saxon 'hebbian' and Old High German 'haben'. From its earliest English uses, 'have' carried a very wide range of meanings — physical possession, ownership of qualities, and the auxiliary use that builds perfect tenses ('I have seen'). 'Having' is the present participle and gerund form, in use since Middle English. Its many modern senses (eat, experience, give birth, arrange) developed gradually as English speakers extended the basic idea of 'holding' something to almost any kind of human activity or state.