Get your offer

How to Use ‘Have Got’ in English: Contracted, Negative, and Question Forms

Learning & Grammer

Explanation of the English Verb "Have Got": What it is and How to apply it

The verb "have got" is one of the fundamentals of the English language, a topic that should be mastered from the very first lessons. Indeed, without it, it would be impossible to express a basic concept like possession: to say "I have a car," "you have two cell phones," or "we have 70 euros," we would necessarily need to know the conjugation of this verb.

As you will discover throughout this lesson, there are also the contracted form of the verb "have got," the interrogative form, and the negative form, all of which are very useful to know in order to form various types of sentences and use the English language fully and naturally.

This is a simple topic, but it deserves your full attention, because it is a true cornerstone of the English language: discover everything you need to know in this Sprachcaffe lesson!

How is the Verb “Have Got” used in English?

First of all, let's try to understand what it is, even though you most likely already know the verb have got in English. In fact, it is the verb used to indicate possession, mainly used in affirmative and interrogative constructions in the simple present indicative.

Let's see some examples to understand better:

  • I have got a car. → I have a car.
  • She has got a new job .
  • Have you got any siblings? → Do you have any brothers/sisters?
  • We haven't got much time. → We don't have much time.

The complete conjugation is as follows:

As always happens in the English language, the conjugation is the same for all persons except the third person singular, which instead has the "s" form. This is a fundamental verb in the English language, since expressing possession can be useful in a tr
Person Simple indicative verb HAVE GOT
THE Have got
You Have got
He/She/It Has got
We Have got
You Have got
They Have got

Have or Have Got: What's the Difference?

We have always known that the verb avere in English is translated as "have", but this time we also have the particle " got " accompanying the verb: what changes?

In fact, " have " and " have got " are two forms that can often be used interchangeably in English, but there are some differences in usage and meaning.

The first is the meaning of possession . Both indicate possession, but "have got" tends to be more common in informal British English, while "have" is more common in American English.

However, both forms are accepted in both English variants. In general, we can say that the "got" form helps reinforce the possession meaning of the verb itself.

  • I've got a new phone.
  • I have a new phone.

In both cases, the sentence translates as: "I have a new phone." The first, however, could refer to the fact that I just bought it, or that it was given to me as a gift and I "got" it, while the second doesn't place such a strong emphasis on the matter.

Another difference is style . "Have" is generally considered more formal than "have got." "Have got" is more common in colloquial and informal English.

In short, the main difference between "have" and "have got" is a matter of style and preference.

Both forms are correct and understandable both by speakers of the more standard (British) form of English and by those who refer to American English.

Their use, however, may vary depending on the context and the variety of English.

When to Use the Verb 'Have Got: Examples

The verb "have got" is mainly used to express possession or the presence of something.

Below are some examples of when to use "have got":

  1. Possession of physical objects:
    • I've got a new car. → I have a new car.
    • She's got a lovely house. → She has a beautiful house.
    • They've got two cats and a dog. → They have two cats and a dog.
  2. Physical characteristics or personal attributes:
    • He's got blue eyes. → He has blue eyes;
    • She's got long hair.
    • They've got a great sense of humor.
  3. Health status or physical condition
    • I've got a headache.
    • She's got a sore throat.
    • They've got a broken leg.
  4. Family relationships:
    • I've got two brothers. → I have two brothers.
    • She's got a sister who lives in Paris.
    • They've got three children. → They have three children
  5. Expressing obligations or duties (especially in informal British English):
    • I've got to finish this report by tomorrow.
    • She's got to pick up her kids from school.
    • They've got to be at the airport by 8 AM.

These are just a few examples of how "have got" can be used to express possessions, personal characteristics, health, family relationships, and obligations.

It's important to note that "have got" is more common in informal British English, while in some contexts or variants of English, such as American English, simply "have" is preferred.

As you can see, however, this verb form is used for a multitude of reasons, which is why learning it should be a top priority in your language learning journey.

Negative Form of the Verb 'Have Got'

Now let's see how to form negative sentences: we'll need to use the negative form of the verb "have got." It's constructed by adding "not" after "have" or "has."

Since this is a sentence already consisting of four words, we often tend to contract this form as well.

The conjugation will thus become:

  1. I haven't got → I haven't got
  2. You haven't got → You haven't got
  3. He hasn't got → He hasn't got
  4. We haven't got → We haven't got
  5. You haven't got → You haven't got
  6. They haven't got → They haven't got

The contraction "haven't got" is commonly used in colloquial English and is preferable for its readability. A native speaker would be unlikely to use the full form, so if you want to sound like a native, practice using the contraction yourself.

Interrogative Form of Verb 'Have Got'

Finally, the interrogative form of the verb "Have Got" is constructed by placing "have" or "has" at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the subject and the particle got.

It is used, of course, to create interrogative sentences that concern possession.

In this case, the conjugation will become the following:

  • Have I got…?
  • Have you got…?
  • Has he got…?
  • Have we got…?
  • Have you got…?
  • Have they got…?

Examples of use:

  • Have I got your attention? → Have I got your attention?
  • Has she got a pen? → Has she got a pen?
  • Have you got any plans for the weekend?
  • Have we got enough food for the party?
  • Have they got tickets to the concert?

This is the interrogative form of the verb "have got".

Finally, you can also create the negative interrogative form with the verb have got, which can be useful for creating rhetorical questions.

An example:

  • Haven't you got anything better to do than criticize others?

With this, the lesson concludes: now you have all the information regarding the use of the verb "have got" in English, and the situations in which it is used. All that remains is to carefully study the conjugation and the various affirmative, negative, and interrogative forms, as well as the contracted form, and then move on to the next topic.

What is it? Let's discover the gerund and the infinitive in English together!

Back

Related news

Learning & Grammer

11/21/2025
30 Example Sentences Using “Be Going To”
Examples and sentences with "be going to" in English   The expression "be going to" is one of the most common ways to talk about the future in English: as we saw previously, the future can be expressed in different ways, depending on the intention and where we want to place the focus.   In this case, we construct sentences with going to when we want to indicate intentions , plans , or predictions based on clear evidence. It's a fundamental construction in both everyday and formal language, and learning it will allow you to clearly express what you intend to do or what you think will happen.   To learn it—as always—there's a more effective method than all the others: analyzing example sentences! This way, you can see how the construct behaves in a real, concrete context.   For this reason, in the following article-lesson, we will look together at 30 sentences with be going to , which will help you better understand how to use this structure in various contexts, from organizing your future commitments to making personal predictions.
Learning & Grammer

11/17/2025
Quick and Easy Exercises on English Comparatives and Superlatives
Learn English Comparatives and Superlatives with these Exercises.
Learning & Grammer

11/16/2025
English Paradigms: What They Are + Complete Table
If you have studied languages like Latin or Greek, this topic might feel relatively simple. However, if you have not had that experience, learning the English paradigms of irregular verbs can be a bit challenging—especially since many of the most frequently used verbs in the English language are irregular.
Learning & Grammer

11/14/2025
Past Simple Irregular Verbs: Practice Activities and Full List
Explanation and examples of irregular verbs in the past simple.
Learning & Grammer

11/07/2025
Future Tense Exercises in English with Answers
Easy Future Tense Exercises in English with Answers. In our last article, we covered all the future tenses in English, their characteristics, and their uses. By now, the future should hold no secrets for you. That's why it seems like the perfect time to test yourself with some future tense exercises!   In this article, we want to test the skills you've acquired so far, so you can verify that the knowledge you've studied is truly consolidated.   Practicing will help you improve even more, and you'll begin to use the various verb tenses more easily and without confusion. Don't worry, these are exercises on the future tense in English with solutions ! So at the end— and only then! —you'll have a chance to check your work and decide whether or not it's worth reviewing again.
Get the latest on travel, languages and culture