1 B1 neutral
To invite someone to your home for a visit.
"We're having some friends in for dinner on Saturday — would you like to join us?"
separable
have in
B1 neutral separable transitive
To invite or arrange for someone to come to your home or workplace, or to keep a supply of something.
In plain English
To bring someone to your place, or to keep something stored at home.
What does "have in" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To call a professional or worker to come to your home to do a job.
"We had to have someone in to fix the boiler — it stopped working in the middle of winter."
separable
3 B1 informal
To keep a supply or stock of something in your home.
"I always have a few tins of soup in, just in case I don't feel like cooking."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To have someone or something come 'in' (inside) to a space.
Actually means
To bring someone to your place, or to keep something stored at home.
Usage tip
Primarily British English. Used both for inviting guests socially and for calling in workers or tradespeople. Also used to mean 'to have a stock of something at home.'
Words that pair with "have in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
guests friends plumber stock supply workers
How to conjugate "have in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
have in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
has in
he/she/it
Past simple
had in
yesterday
Past participle
had in
have + pp
-ing form
having in
continuous
Hear "have in" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "have in" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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