habban
/ˈxɑb.bɑn/
Have in Old English is habban, meaning to possess.
habban means to have or to own something. It could also be used with a past participle to say that something has been done.
Meaning: to possess (verb)
Which one should you use?
A prefixed form also existed, as in Ic ġehæbbe, I have and Ic ġehæfde, I had.
How does it change in a sentence?
habban is the infinitive. In the present tense, I have is Ic hæbbe, you have is Þu hæfst and the plural for we, you and they is habbaþ. In the past tense, I had is Ic hæfde and the plural is hæfdon, as in Hīe hæfdon, they had.
How do you pronounce it?
habban is pronounced /ˈxɑb.bɑn/, in two syllables with the stress on the first and a doubled b.
Did you know?
- While habban means 'to possess', its distant relatives in languages like Russian ха́пать and Albanian kap specifically mean 'to grip' or 'to snatch'.
- In Old English, the verb habban could change its initial consonant from 'b' to 'f' in certain forms, such as hæfst for 'you have'.
Examples in context
- late 10th century, Ælfric, the Old English Hexateuch, Genesis 42:36Then Jacob, their father, said, "You have made me childless. I don't have Joseph and Simeon is in chains, now you're taking Benjamin from me."This verse uses the verb twice, once in you have made me childless and once in I don't have Joseph.
- The Gospel of St. Luke
Iċ hæbbe þē tō seċġenne sum ðingI have to say something to you.hæbbe is the form for I. - early 12th century, the Peterborough Chronicle
Þās þing wē habbaþ be him ġewriten.We have written these things about him.habbaþ is the plural form used with wē. - 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are discussing possessions in a village.
- ÆthelflædHæfþ Godric þone hring?Does Godric have the ring?
- GodricIċ habban hringne nu.I have a ring now.
- ÆthelflædHwær wille þu habban hit?Where will you have it?
- GodricIċ habban hit on mīnum handa.I have it in my hand.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “have” translations and entries habban, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries habban, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
