estar de pie
/esˌtaɾ de ˈpje/
To stand is estar de pie in Spanish.
The phrase estar de pie is used to describe the state of being in an upright position on one's feet.
Which one should you use?
Use estar de pie to describe the state of standing. If you want to describe the actual movement of standing up from a seated position, use ponerse de pie.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, you may hear estar paradito/a instead of estar parado/a or estar de pie.
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe a continuous state in the past, such as 'was standing', use the imperfect tense of the verb *estar*, resulting in estaba de pie.
How do you pronounce it?
/esˌtaɾ de ˈpje/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using pararse to mean the state of standing. In many dialects, pararse specifically refers to the movement of standing up or the act of stopping.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- 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 is useful for describing how to use estar de pie to indicate a specific location for a phone signal.Tatoeba #10025285 by manufrutos, translation #10024413 by DostKaplan
- Ella está de pie en la sala.She is standing in the living room.
- Por favor, permanezca de pie hasta que todos los invitados se sienten.Please remain standing until all the guests are seated.
- Estoy parado/a esperando a mis amigos.I'm standing, waiting for my friends.
- Vamos, ponte de pie y bailemos juntos.Come on, get on your feet and let's dance together.
- No puedo estar de pie mucho tiempo.I cannot stand for a long time.
- Ella prefiere estar de pie mientras espera el autobús.She prefers to stand while waiting for the bus.
Example conversation
Javier and María are at a crowded party.
- Javier¿Quieres sentarte en este sofá?Do you want to sit on this sofa?
- MaríaNo, prefiero estar de pie para poder moverme.No, I prefer to stand so I can move around.
- JavierEstá bien, pero tus pies se cansarán.That's fine, but your feet will get tired.
- MaríaLo sé, pero me gusta conversar así.I know, but I like to chat this way.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry estar de pie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, estar, pie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
