They've Meaning in English

word · lemma: they have

US

ˈðeɪv

THAYV

UK

ðeɪv

thayv

Definition

'They've' is a contraction of 'they have.' It can mean 'they have' when talking about possession, or 'they have' as an auxiliary verb in perfect tenses.

Usage & Nuances

'They've' is informal and used mainly in speaking or casual writing. It contracts both the auxiliary (perfect tenses: 'they've finished') and possessive ('they've got a car'), but is not used for emphasis. Avoid in very formal writing.

• Spanish: ellos han - ellos tienen
• Portuguese (BR): eles têm - eles têm (feito)
• Portuguese (PT): eles têm - eles têm (feito)
• Chinese (Simplified): 他们已经 - 他们有
• Chinese (Traditional): 他們已經 - 他們有
• Hindi: वे कर चुके हैं - उनके पास है
• Arabic: لقد (هم) - عندهم
• Bengali: তারা আছে - ওরা আছে (present perfect/possession)
• Russian: они были - у них есть
• Japanese: 彼らは～した（現在完了） - 彼らは持っている
• Vietnamese: họ đã - họ có
• Korean: 그들은 ~했다 - 그들은 가지고 있다
• Turkish: onlar ... yaptı - onların var
• Urdu: انہوں نے - ان کے پاس ہے
• Indonesian: mereka telah - mereka punya

Example Sentences

They've finished their homework.

basic

They've got two dogs.

basic

They've lived here for years.

basic

They've never seen snow before.

natural

They've got to hurry or they'll miss the bus.

natural

I can't believe how much they've changed.

natural