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The Verb “estar” in Spanish

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The Verb “Estar” in Spanish

To be

QUIZ YOURSELF

In Spanish, the verb “estar” translates to the verb “to be” and we use the verb “estar” to say how someone is doing or to talk about the state of something, usually something temporary, such as actions or conditions (for example, I am happy today, the beer is cold, the windows are closed).  We also use it to say where someone or something is located (Where is your house?). Remember, “estar” is an irregular verb.

 

Note: We must differentiate “estar” from “ser”, which we use to talk about more permanent things. Both verbs can be translated as “to be” in English.

Estar
To be
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Yo estoy
I am
estás
You are
Él está / Ella está
He / She is
Usted está
You are (formal)
Nosotros estamos / Nosotras estamos
We are
Ustedes están
You are
Ellos están / Ellas están
They are
To learn more, visit the article on The verb “ser” 

Below, there are several examples of how “estar” is used in Spanish to describe temporary states of being.  Remember what all of these examples have in common is that they can easily change, like the coffee that goes from hot to cold or how someone’s feeling.

To talk about feelings and emotions and to describe how we feel:
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¿Cómo estás?
How are you?
Estoy muy bien. Gracias.
Very well. Thanks.
.
Mariano está enfermo.
Mariano’s sick.
Yo estoy triste.
I’m sad.
Estamos muy cansados.
We’re very tired.
Mi papá está de muy buen humor.
My dad’s in a very good mood.
To talk about the state of something (that is not general or is unexpected and might change):
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Hoy mi casa está muy fría.
Today my house is very cold.
¡Qué sucios están los niños!
The children are so dirty!
El café está frío.
The coffee’s cold.
La sopa está salada.
The soup’s salty.

Another usage of “Estar” is how it is used to state locations as in the examples below.

To say where people and things are (location):
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Laura está en su oficina.
Laura’s in her office.
Tu ropa está sobre la cama.
Your clothes are on the bed.
Nuestra hermana está en Venezuela.
Our sister is in Venezuela.
.
¿Dónde están mis zapatos?
Where are my shoes?
Están en tu armario.
They’re in your closet.
To learn more about location and to talk about where things are – check out the article “Prepositions in Spanish”.

The verb “estar” is also used as an auxiliary verb (a verb that helps form a tense along with another verb) in the present continuous tenses. See the examples below.

As an auxiliary verb in the Present Continuous tense:
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Él está jugando ajedrez.
He’s playing chess.
Yo estoy cocinando.
I’m cooking.
¿Qué están haciendo?
What are you doing?
Estamos empacando.
We’re packing.
If you’re having a bit of trouble using the verb “estar” as an auxiliary verb, please visit the “Present Continuous” article.
In different expressions and idioms:
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Estoy de viaje.
I’m traveling.
Estamos en camino.
We’re on our way.
Ellos están de pie todo el día.
They stand all day.
Elisa está en las nubes.
Elisa’s daydreaming.
Está bien.
It’s ok.
Ella está de acuerdo.
She agrees.

Now that you’ve seen how “estar” is used and its conjugations, take the following “estar” verb quizzes to test your knowledge.

QUIZ: Estar Conjugation

Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the verb “estar”.
1. ¿ de acuerdo? (tú)
(Do you agree?)
2. Nosotros jugando cartas.
(We are playing cards)
3. Yo en la oficina.
(I am in the office)
4. El gato en el patio.
(The cat is in the courtyard)
5. ¿Mis cosas sobre mi escritorio?
(Are my things on my desk?)
6. Julieta no en su casa.
(Julieta is not at her house)
7. ¿ triste? (tú)
(Are you sad?)
8. Roberto cansado.
(Roberto is tired)
9. Este pastel muy dulce.
(This cake is very sweet)
10. muy enfermo. (yo)
(I am very sick)
Choose the correct form of the verb “estar”.
1. Esa idea ________ muy bien.
2. Hoy ________ muy contentos. (nosotros)
3. ¿Qué ________ haciendo? (ustedes)
4. Qué guapo ________ Luciano hoy.
5. ¿Dónde ________ mis botas?
6. Mis amigas ________ en el café.
7. La comida ________ fría.
8. ________ cocinando en mi casa. (yo)
9. ¿________ usted bien?
10. Los chicos ________ trabajando en el laboratorio.
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In this lesson, you’ve learned how to conjugate the verb “estar”, and now you have an understanding of how “estar” is used.  Remember that “estar” is an irregular verb, so you have to memorize its conjugations.  “Estar” is used in Spanish to describe temporary states of being, like stating how you are doing, if something is hot or cold, and also for stating where people or things are located. It’s also used in the present continuous tense as an auxiliary verb. 

 

If you’ve studied both “ser” and “estar” conjugations, now would be a good time to review the lesson on “Ser vs Estar”.  This lesson will explain in more detail how to use “ser” and “estar” in Spanish.

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