Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| estar de pie | /esˌtaɾ de ˈpje/ |
| estar parado | /estaɾ paɾado/ (from spelling rules) |
| estar en pie | /estaɾ en pje/ (from spelling rules) |
The verb forms provided describe the state of supporting oneself on one's feet in an erect position. While estar de pie is a very common way to express this, you may also encounter ponerse de pie or levantarse (to stand up) and synonyms like erguirse or pararse. Additionally, atril refers to a device used to hold something upright, while postura refers to a defensive position or effort.
Which one should you use?
Estar de pie is a universal way to describe the physical act of standing. In contrast, estar en pie is often used figuratively to indicate that something remains valid, functioning or upright, such as a law or a structure. Estar parado specifically describes the state of being standing.
Is it said differently in some regions?
While estar de pie is universal, estar parado is the preferred way to say "to be standing" in many Latin American countries.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using estar parado to describe a person's state, the adjective parado must agree in gender and number with the subject, such as ellas están paradas.
How do you pronounce it?
/esˌtaɾ de ˈpje/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse estar parado (to be standing) with the verb parar, which means to stop or cease movement.
Did you know?
- The past tense forms of estar are actually derived from the verb tener, which means 'to have'.
- While estar de pie is universal, using estar parado to mean 'standing' can be confusing in Spain, where it more strongly implies 'being stopped'.
Examples in context
- No puedo estar de pie.I can't stand.This sentence expresses an inability to stand using estar de pie.Tatoeba #4589153 by Francisco_M, translation #1954908 by CK
- Ellos no podían hacer nada más que estar parados y mirar.They couldn't do anything but stand there and stare.This sentence describes people standing still and watching using estar parado.Tatoeba #1355729 by marcelostockle, translation #371914 by saeb
- El truco para obtener una buena cobertura de móvil en esta casa es estar de pie junto al refrigerador en la cocina.The trick to getting a good phone signal in this house is to stand by the refrigerator in the kitchen.This sentence provides a tip about standing near a refrigerator using estar de pie.Tatoeba #10025285 by manufrutos, translation #10024413 by DostKaplan
- Por favor, permanezca de pie durante el himno nacional.Please stand during the national anthem.
- Pónganse de pie para dar la bienvenida al orador principal.Please stand to welcome the keynote speaker.
- En la ceremonia, todos se levantaron cuando llegó la presidenta.During the ceremony, everyone stood up when the president arrived.
- Me puse de pie para ver mejor el escenario.I stood up to get a better view of the stage.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and María are at a crowded museum exhibition.
- Javier¿Puedes estar de pie un momento más?Can you stand for a moment longer?
- MaríaSí, pero mis piernas están cansadas.Yes, but my legs are tired.
- JavierMaría, buscaremos una silla pronto.María, we will look for a chair soon.
- MaríaGracias, Javier, lo agradezco mucho.Thanks, Javier, I appreciate it a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stand” translations and entries estar de pie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, en, estar, parado, pie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
