6.7: The Verb Estar
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The Verb Estar
The verb estar (to be) is a regular verb in the present tense. Unlike the verb ser, which is typically used to describe inherent characteristics, estar is generally used to talk about conditions that are subject to change.
| Verb | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| SER | La profesora es muy estricta. | The professor (she) is very strict. |
| ESTAR | La profesora está muy ocupada. | The professor (she) is very busy. |
Singular
| Verb | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | Yo estoy | I am |
| 2nd person | Tú estás | You are |
| 3rd person | Él está Ella está Usted está |
He/it is She/it is You (formal) are |
Plural
| Person | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | Nosotros estamos | I am |
| 2nd person | Vosotros estáis | You are (informal, Spain) |
| 3rd person | Ellos están Ellas están Ustedes están |
They (masc.) are They (fem.) are You are |
Ejercicio 7
Adjectives with Estar
As you may have noticed, the adjectives in the previous exercise denote emotional, mental, physical states or conditions that are subject to change. Remember that in Spanish adjectives must agree in both number (singular or plural) and gender (masculine or feminine) with the noun or pronoun they modify.
| ESPAÑOL | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| aburrido(a) | bored |
| contento(a) | happy |
| enamorado(a) | in love |
| enfermo(a) | sick |
| enojado(a) | angry, mad |
| estresado(a) | stressed |
| nervioso(a) | nervous |
| ocupado(a) | occupied, busy |
| preocupado(a) | preoccupied, worried |
| triste | sad |
Ejercicio 8: ¿Cómo está?
Estar with Locations
Estar can also be used to describe where something or someone is located.
Conestoga College está en Kitchener. Conestoga College is in Kitchener.
Ejercicio 9: ¿Dónde está?
Write a few sentences describing the location of each of the places in the list. Please note, you may have to do a bit of research. Follow the example below.
- Conestoga College
Conestoga College está en Kitchener. Kitchener está en Ontario. Ontario está en Canadá. Canadá está en Norteamérica. Conestoga College is in Kitchener. Kitchener is in Ontario. Ontario is in Canada. Canada is in North America.
- El Zócalo
- Machu Picchu
- El lago Atitlán
- El desierto de Atacama
- La Patagonia
Ser versus Estar
The verbs ser and estar both mean to be in English. The difference between the two lies in their use. While ser is generally used to describe inherent qualities, estar is generally used to talk about conditions or states that are subject to change. The charts below summarize their main uses.
Ser
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Inherent qualities | Luis es inteligente. Luis is intelligent. |
| Origin | Yo soy de Nicaragua. I am from Nicaragua. |
| Occupations | Sofía es enfermera. Sofía is a nurse. |
| Time/date | Son las ocho de la mañana. It’s 8am. Es el martes 14 de enero. It’s Tuesday, January 14. |
| Events | El evento es en el auditorio. The event is in the auditorium. |
Estar
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Mental, emotional, or physical state or condition | (Yo) estoy muy ocupada hoy. I am very busy today. |
| Location | Los estudiantes están en la cafetería. The students are in the cafeteria. |