Have you got...? Yes, I have. I haven't got

Questions and short answers: Have you got...? Yes, I have.

For a question, put have or has first. Got stays after the person.

Short answers use have or has, with no got:

Like Yes, I am, a yes answer ends with the long form: Yes, I have. (not Yes, I've).

Negatives: I haven't got

Put not after have or has. In speech, use haven't and hasn't.

• I haven't got a car. (I have no car)
• Tom hasn't got any brothers. (no brothers at all)
• We haven't got time. (we must go)

Do not use don't with have got. It is I haven't got, not I don't have got.

Have got or have? British and American

Both are correct, and they mean the same here. The difference is where you are.

In Britain you hear both: have got is more common in speech, have in careful writing. American English prefers have and do you have, and uses have got mostly in the short form: I've got a question. (I have a question.)

So if you only learn one, have and do you have work everywhere. But you need to understand have got, because you will hear it a lot. Do not mix them: Have you got...? or Do you have...? Never Do you have got...?

Common mistakes

The shower one is important. Have is also used for actions: have breakfast, have a shower, have a party. Here you cannot use have got: I have a shower every morning. (I wash), never I've got a shower every morning.