The verb estar
A1Grammar path · Lesson 9 of 86 · Stage A1 · Talking about people
Estar is one of the two Spanish verbs for 'to be', and you need it from your very first sentences, like asking how someone is or saying where you are. The core idea: estar describes location and states that can change, such as tired, happy, busy or cold. It is irregular in the present: estoy, estás, está, estamos, están. Combined with an -ando/-iendo form it builds the progressive: estoy comiendo. The main confusion is with ser: ser describes identity, profession and origin, while estar describes how something is right now and where it is.
Practise this lesson · 10 sentences
Form
sujeto + estar + lugar/adjetivosujeto + no + estar + lugar/adjetivo¿cómo/dónde + estar + sujeto?estar + gerundio (-ando/-iendo)When to use it
Saying where something is
Use estar to say where a person or thing is. This holds even when the location never changes.
Temporary states and feelings
Use estar with adjectives describing a current condition: tired, happy, nervous, cold, dirty. The adjective agrees in gender and number with the subject.
Actions in progress
Estar + an -ando/-iendo form describes something happening right now. Only estar is conjugated; the -ando/-iendo part never changes.
How “estar” changes
Signal words
Don't confuse it with
Choose estar for location, current condition or an action in progress; choose ser for identity, profession, nationality and time. The same adjective can change meaning: es aburrido means boring, está aburrido means bored.
Hay vs estáUse está/están when the thing is specific (el, la, a name, mi...) and you say where it is. When introducing the existence of something unspecified (un, una, a number), use hay.
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate estar in the present?
Yo estoy, tú estás, él/ella/usted está, nosotros estamos, ellos/ustedes están. Note the accents on estás, está and están.
When do I use estar instead of ser?
Use estar for location, temporary states and feelings. Use ser for identity, profession, origin and time.
Why is it estoy en Lima and not soy?
The location of people and things always takes estar. Ser is used only for where an event takes place, as in la fiesta es en mi casa.
How do I form the present progressive with estar?
Conjugate estar and add the verb ending in -ando for -ar verbs or -iendo for -er/-ir verbs: estoy hablando, están comiendo.
Is it ¿cómo estás? or ¿cómo eres? to ask how someone is?
Use ¿cómo estás? to ask how someone is doing. ¿Cómo eres? asks what someone is like in personality or looks.