present: estar

The Verb Estar (To Be) in the Present Tense

In Spanish, estar is one of two verbs that mean "to be" (the other is ser). Estar is an irregular verb generally used to indicate location and temporary states or conditions. It highlights things that are changeable, situational, or ongoing.

1. Forms (Conjugation)

Here are the present tense forms. Note the accent marks on estás, está, estáis, and están.

• yo estoy — I am
• tú estás — You are (singular, informal)
• él / ella / usted está — He / She / You (singular, formal) are
• nosotros / nosotras estamos — We are
• vosotros / vosotras estáis — You all are (plural, informal - used in Spain)
• ellos / ellas / ustedes están — They / You all (plural, formal) are

2. Negative and Interrogative Forms

To make a sentence negative, simply place no before the conjugated verb. To ask a question, you can simply change your intonation or invert the subject and verb.

• Negative: No estoy en casa. (I am not at home.)
• Interrogative: ¿Estás bien? (Are you okay?)

3. Key Uses of Estar

A. Location (People, Places, and Things)
Use estar to say where something is located, whether that location is permanent, temporary, real, or imaginary.

• La ciudad de Miami está en la Florida. (The city of Miami is in Florida.)
• Estoy en la sala ahora. (I am in the living room now.)

B. Temporary Physical Conditions
Use estar to describe health or physical states that can change.

• Los chicos están enfermos. (The boys are sick.)

C. Mental States or Moods
Use estar for emotions and feelings, as these are subject to change.

• ¡No estoy loca! (I am not crazy!)
• ¡Estás deprimida! (You are depressed!)

D. Results of Previous Actions
Use estar with a past participle to describe the state of something as a result of an action (e.g., the door was closed, so now it is closed).

• La sesión está cancelada. (The session is cancelled.)

E. Temporary Traits (Contrasting with the Norm)
We use estar to point out a trait that looks different from usual or is specific to the current moment.

• Hombre, estás delgado. (Man, you look thin.) — Implies you have lost weight recently.
• Para su edad, están muy maduros estos chicos. (For their age, these kids are very mature.)

F. Temporary Jobs or Roles (Estar de)
While professions usually take the verb ser, we use estar + de to indicate a temporary job or a role one is currently filling.

• Luisa es ingeniera pero ahora está de camarera. (Luisa is an engineer, but right now she is working as a waitress.)

G. The Present Progressive
Estar is the auxiliary verb required to form the present progressive tense (actions happening right now). It is combined with the gerund (words ending in –ando or –iendo).

• Estamos buscando trabajo. (We are looking for work.)
• Los bailarines están saliendo al escenario. (The dancers are going out onto the stage.)