Have Got / Has Got
We use have got / has got to talk about possession, relationships, physical characteristics, and sometimes illnesses. It's very common in British English (especially in spoken/informal speech).
In American English, people usually use have / has without "got" — both mean the same thing.
Examples: I have got a car. = I have a car. / She has got two brothers. = She has two brothers.
Contractions (very common in speech):
- Affirmative: I've got · you've got · he's got · she's got · it's got · we've got · they've got
- Negative: haven't got · hasn't got
- ⚠ Important: Never use "do/does" with "have got" → ❌ Do you have got a car? ✅ Have you got a car?
| Subject | Affirmative | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / You / We / They | have got | haven't got | Have ... got...? |
| He / She / It | has got | hasn't got | Has ... got...? |
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Possession | I've got a new laptop. |
| Relationships | She's got two sisters. |
| Physical characteristics | He's got blue eyes. |
| Illnesses / Conditions | I've got a headache. |
| Abstract things | We've got a problem. / They've got time. |
Don't use "got" in short answers — just use have/haven't or has/hasn't.
| Question | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Have you got a car? | Yes, I have. | No, I haven't. |
| Has he got a dog? | Yes, he has. | No, he hasn't. |
| Have they got children? | Yes, they have. | No, they haven't. |
Same meaning — different structure. Choose one style and try to be consistent.
| Form | Have / Has (American) | Have Got / Has Got (British) |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | I have a car. | I've got a car. |
| Negative | I don't have a car. | I haven't got a car. |
| Question | Do you have a car? | Have you got a car? |
| Style | More formal / written / American | Informal / spoken / British |
"Have got" only means possess / own / have as a feature, and only in the present. In other cases use normal have:
| Situation | ✅ Correct | ❌ Wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Actions & routines (eat, drink, take) | I have breakfast at 8. | I've got breakfast at 8. |
| Experiences | We had a great time. | We've got a great time. |
| Past possession | I had a bike when I was a child. | I had got a bike when I was a child. |
| With do/does | Do you have a pen? | Do you have got a pen? |
Have got to means the same as must or have to — it expresses obligation. Don't confuse it with "have got" for possession.
- I've got to go now. = I must go now.
- She's got to finish the report by Friday.
- We've got to leave early.
- In speech, "got to" often sounds like "gotta": I gotta go. (very informal!)