# I haven't got vs I don't have



## hiamsilvia

Hi everybody,

Some of you could tell me what is the difference between this 2 following sentences:

" I haven't (got) a girlfriend

I don't have a girlfriend "

Are both of them correct?

Ciao, grazie, Silvia


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## Karl!!!!

hiamsilvia said:


> Hi everybody,
> 
> Some of you could Could somebody tell me what is the difference is between these this 2 following sentences:
> 
> " I haven't (got) a girlfriend
> 
> I don't have a girlfriend "
> 
> Are both of them correct? Yes


 
Ciao. As far as I know they are both exactly the same. I can't think of a situation where you could use one and not the other off the top of my head.

P.S. I hope you don't mind the changes I made. Don't forget to change the word order to ask questions in English.


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## federicoft

Isn't haven't got typical BE, is it?


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## Karl!!!!

federicoft said:


> Isn't haven't got typical BE, is it?


 
I think you're probably right, but we use both phrases, perhaps owing to the amount of American TV programmes shown in the uk.


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## virgilio

Nell'inglese di un secolo fa si sarebbe detto "I haven't a girl friend" in quello di cinquant'anni fa "I haven't got a girl friend" e durante i due decenni scorsi - sotto l'influenza dell'inglese trasatlantico - è cominciato a dirsi "I don't have a girlfriend".
Poveretto! Mi sembra una mancanza troppo lunga di compagnia femminile!
Virgilio


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## audia

As Karl said the meaning is the same
I haven't a girlfriend (BE)
I haven't got a girlfriend (BE,AE)
I don"t have a girlfriend (AE,BE)


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## hiamsilvia

Hello everybody, 

thank you very muck "Karl!!!" for your answer and your corrections, actually I am trying to write in English in spite of the fact I am not very good at it, because I am trying to improve.

I can't understand what the initial BE, AS are. BE = American of the USA?

ciao, grazie a tutti, Silvia


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## federicoft

hiamsilvia said:


> Hello everybody,
> 
> thank you very muck "Karl!!!" for your answer and your corrections, actually I am trying to write in English in spite of the fact I am not very good at it, because I am trying to improve.
> 
> I can't understand what the initial BE, AS are. BE = American of the USA?
> 
> ciao, grazie a tutti, Silvia



BE = British English
AE = American English


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## angelico76

AE = American English
BE = British English


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## uscbalto

Some of you could Could somebody tell me what is the difference is between [s]these this 2 following sentences[/S] the following two sentences:

" I haven't (got) a girlfriend 

I don't have a girlfriend "

Are both of them correct? Yes 
Ciao. As far as I know they are both exactly the same. I can't think of a situation where you could use one and not the other off the top of my head.

P.S. I hope you don't mind the changes I made. Don't forget to change the word order to ask questions in English.[/quote]

I think it's slightly more proper to say "between these 2 sentences" rather than "these 2 following sentences." JMO. Thanks!


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## hiamsilvia

Thank you so much!!  
ciao Silvia


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## uinni

Ciao.


virgilio said:


> Nell'inglese di un secolo fa si sarebbe detto "I haven't a girl friend" in quello di cinquant'anni fa "I haven't got a girl friend" e durante i due decenni scorsi - sotto l'influenza dell'inglese trasatlantico - *si *è cominciato a dir*e* "I don't have a girlfriend".
> Poveretto! Mi sembra una mancanza troppo lunga di compagnia femminile!
> Virgilio


 
Ottimo!. Just a little correction.

Uinni


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## virgilio

Uinni,
      Thank you for the correction. As we say in English "Every little helps!"
I am much obliged.
Virgilio


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## atrakal

Ciao a tutti! Vorrei un chiarimento:

Se dico, ad esempio:

1. Have you got a bicycle?  No, I haven't.  (perchè è ausiliare)

2. I don't have a pen (NON: I haven't a pen)
perchè in questo caso è verbo avere, giusto?

grazie mille!!


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## Alxmrphi

As a native speaker of BE, "haven't got" couldn't be more correct, but am I to understand that Americans don't see this as extremely common?


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## franca157

They both mean exactly the same, but the latter is a bit more gracious way of expression.


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## runningman

But, as atrakal asked, it's a mistake saying *I haven't *(without using got) *a girlfriend*, isn't it?


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## Murphy

atrakal said:


> Ciao a tutti! Vorrei un chiarimento:
> 
> Se dico, ad esempio:
> 
> 1. Have you got a bicycle? No, I haven't. (perchè è ausiliare)
> 
> 2. I don't have a pen (NON: I haven't a pen)
> perchè in questo caso è verbo avere, giusto?
> 
> grazie mille!!


 
atrakal,
"I haven't a pen" non è sbagliato.  E' solo fuori moda, è non viene usato molto al giorno di oggi.  Si trova ancora, comunque, in alcuni libri di grammatica.


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## gabrigabri

If i try to make it easy using ONLY "have" e "don't have" is it ok? Everywhere?


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## franca157

"I haven't a girlfriend" and "I have a girlfriend are on exactly the same level of expression, just right.


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## Alxmrphi

Yeah but who says "I haven't a girlfriend" ?


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## franca157

Correction: "I haven't a girlfriend" and "I don't have a girlfriend" are exactly on the same level in sense and expression.


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## franca157

To Alex Murphy . . You wouldn't say "I don't got a  . . ." neither would you say "I haven't got a . . . "


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## Alxmrphi

I don't get what you're trying to say:s

I wouldn't say "I don't got a" , but "I haven't got a....." is fine.


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## Murphy

franca157 said:


> To Alex Murphy . . You wouldn't say "I don't got a . . ."  neither would you say "I haven't got a . . . "


 
"I haven't got a girlfriend/pen/Ferrari etc" is exactly what we would say in BE


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## runningman

I feel a bit confused.

I have always been told that when the verb *to have* is not used as an auxiliary verb, in interrogatives and negative sentences you have to use the auxiliary *do/did* and not using it would be a mistake, not just something uncommon or old-fashionated. So, until now I was convinced that:

I haven't a pen.
I don't have a pen.

Have you a pen?
Do you have a pen?


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## Alxmrphi

runningman said:


> I feel a bit confused.
> 
> I have always been told that when the verb *to have* is not used as an auxiliary verb, in interrogatives and negative sentences you have to use the auxiliary *do/did* and not using it would be a mistake, not just something uncommon or old-fashionated. So, until now I was convinced that:
> 
> I haven't a pen.
> I don't have a pen.
> 
> Have you a pen?
> Do you have a pen?



Yeah, what you said is correct! 
Have you *got* a pen? / I haven't *got* a pen? Will make the sentences correct.


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## Murphy

runningman said:


> I feel a bit confused.
> 
> I have always been told that when the verb *to have* is not used as an auxiliary verb, in interrogatives and negative sentences you have to use the auxiliary *do/did* and not using it would be a mistake, not just something uncommon or old-fashionated. So, until now I was convinced that:
> 
> I haven't a pen.
> I don't have a pen.
> 
> Have you a pen?
> Do you have a pen?


 
As mentioned earlier on in this thread, it probably depends on whether you are using BE terms or AE terms.

I haven't a pen / Have you a pen?      In BE this is the old fashioned way of forming negative and interrogative sentences with "have".  It's not wrong, but just isn't used very much anymore.

I haven't got a pen / Have you got a pen?   This is how we say it now in BE

I don't have a pen / Do you have a pen?   This is more common in AE but we recognise it's use as correct also in BE.

I hope this clears up the confusion.


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## runningman

[/quote]





Alex_Murphy said:


> Yeah, what you said is correct!
> Have you *got* a pen? / I haven't *got* a pen? Will make the sentences correct.



So, why in the following post is "I haven't a girlfriend" considered correct?



franca157 said:


> Correction: "I *haven't *a girlfriend" and "I don't have a girlfriend" are exactly on the same level in sense and expression.



Edit: Murphy, I hadn't seen your last post before posting this. So, in AE is not considered in error saying "I haven't a girlfriend", while in BE it is. Am I right?


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## Alxmrphi

Why what?....


Le frasi che hai segnato come sbagliate usare "got" per farle giusti, senza "got" le frasi non hanno senso.


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## runningman

Alex_Murphy said:


> Why what?....
> 
> 
> Le frasi che hai segnato come sbagliate usare "got" per farle giusti, senza "got" le frasi non hanno senso.



Alex, your post is perfectly clearly. The "why" was referred to franca157's post.


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## franca157

You are probably correct, Runningman. but in an informal situation, I think that one may safely let go of the rule.


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## Alxmrphi

runningman said:


> Alex, your post is perfectly clearly. The "why" was referred to franca157's post.



Ah it was just that you quoted my post right above the comment, that usually refers to what one comment's about, like I did in this post.


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## runningman

franca157 said:


> You are probably correct, Runningman. but in an informal situation, I think that one may safely let go of the rule.



Thanks a lot. I wanted just to be sure of the difference between the rule and the informal or common usage. Once I know the rule, I _haven't_ any problem in not following it.


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## franca157

Alex Murphy's closing "got" is just right. The "got" here is slang and it works perfectly as emphasis.


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## wordie80

Vorrei una conferma:

_I have got a pen_ = ho comprato una penna.
I have a pen = ho una penna.

Giusto?

_I have got_ è il present perfect del verbo _to get?_

Grazie.
w80


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## Murphy

wordie80 said:


> Vorrei una conferma:
> 
> _I have got a pen_ = ho comprato una penna. *Ho* una penna
> I have a pen = ho una penna.
> 
> Giusto?
> 
> _I have got_ è il present perfect del verbo _to get? _Anche, ma di solito si usa "have got" per indicare il verbo "possedere".  Per dire "ho comprato una penna", sarebbe piu usuale "I bought a pen/I got a pen" con il simple past.
> Grazie.
> w80


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## wordie80

Grazie Murphy


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## sound shift

Alxmrphi said:


> Yeah but who says "I haven't a girlfriend" ?


 I don't. Nor do I say "I have a girlfriend."


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