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Estar
You have learned that ser is generally used to describe what a noun is (essential
characteristics). On the other hand, estar is generally used to describe how a noun is
(condition).
Conjugation
Like ser, estar is also an irregular verb.
In the case of estar, it only has two small catches: (1) it has an irregular yo form, and
(2) the tú, él, and ellos forms need an accent for phonetic reasons (and to make sure
they aren't confused with other words with the same spelling.) Remember that the
vosotros conjugation always carries an accent mark in this tense. Here are the present
tense conjugations of estar for the various subjects:
Estar
yo
estoy
tú
estás
él, ella, usted (Ud.)
está
nosotros, nosotras
estamos
vosotros, vosotras
estáis
ellos, ellas, ustedes (Uds.)
están
When learning verb conjugations, they are usually presented in a chart. The first column
contains the conjugations for yo, tú and él-ella-usted, and the second column contains
the conjugations for nosotros-nosotras, vosotros-vosotras, and ellos-ellas-ustedes.
Setting up the verb conjugations this way makes it easier to study and remember them.
estoy
estamos
estás
estáis
está
están
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Estar
Estar: Uses
Use
Example
Condition
Mis hermanos están
enfermos.
My brothers are sick.
Progressive actions
Tú estás tocando el piano.
You are playing the piano.
Idiomatic
expressions
Estamos de acuerdo.
We agree. (We are in
agreement.)
Physical location
¿Dónde está Raúl?
Where is Raul?
Now that you have learned the uses of each one, note that the use of ser or estar can
change the meaning of a sentence, particularly when used with adjectives. Here are
some examples:
Patricia es aburrida.
Patricia is boring.
Patricia está aburrida.
Patricia is bored.
Roberto es guapo.
Roberto is handsome.
Roberto está guapo.
Roberto looks handsome.
Los niños son listos.
The children are bright/smart.
Los niños están listos.
The children are ready.
As you can see, the use of the verb ser with adjectives implies what they are, and the
use of estar with adjectives implies how they currently are or currently seem.
Estar
© 2012 Middlebury Interactive Languages.
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