estar
/esˈtaɾ/
The Spanish verb for "to be" is estar.
estar is used to indicate temporary states, locations, feelings and conditions.
Which one should you use?
Spanish has two verbs for 'to be'. 'estar' is used for states, locations and temporary conditions, while 'ser' is used for permanent characteristics and identity. The verb 'ser' is used to express permanence, identity and essential qualities such as professions, nationalities and characteristics.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular present indicative form of 'estar' is 'estoy'. The second-person singular present indicative form of 'estar' is 'estás'.
How do you pronounce it?
/esˈtaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use 'ser' for emotions, but 'estar' should be used for the state of being angry, such as in the phrase estoy enojado.
Did you know?
- While estar usually denotes temporary states, it is used for the permanent location of buildings and cities. A house in Madrid está in Madrid even though it will likely stay there forever.
- Using estar instead of ser can completely flip the meaning of an adjective. For instance, ser aburrido describes a person who is boring, while estar aburrido means that person is currently bored.
- The English word 'state' and the Spanish verb estar share the same ancestor, the Latin 'stare', which means 'to stand'.
Examples in context
- Voy a estar allí.I'm going to be there.This sentence uses estar to talk about being in a location.Tatoeba #6606856 by UsuarioX, translation #5851082 by CK
- ¿Vas a estar bien?Are you going to be OK?This sentence uses estar to ask about a state of well-being.Tatoeba #1233187 by marcelostockle, translation #953102 by CK
- Vas a estar celoso.You're going to be jealous.This sentence uses estar to describe a temporary emotion or state of being jealous.Tatoeba #2921184 by marcelostockle, translation #2917380 by AlanF_US
- Soy profesor.I am a teacher.
- Ella es española.She is Spanish.
- Él es muy inteligente.He is very intelligent.
- Estoy en casa.I am at home.
- Ella está cansada.She is tired.
- El helado está delicioso.The ice cream is delicious.
- Soy un poco desordenado.I am a bit messy.
- Carlos es mi mejor amigo.Carlos is my best friend.
- Somos felices juntos.We are happy together.
- Estoy emocionado por el concierto.I'm excited about the concert.
- Estás en el lugar correcto.You're in the right place.
- Estamos listos para empezar.We are ready to start.
- Vos sos inteligenteYou are intelligent
- 584 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about where Mateo is located.
- Sofía¿Dónde vas a estar?Where are you going to be?
- MateoVoy a estar en casa.I am going to be at home.
- SofíaEstá bien, te veré allí.All right, I will see you there.
- MateoPerfecto, nos vemos luego.Perfect, see you later.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry estar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries estar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
