The verb estar (to be) is one of the first verbs every Portuguese learner needs. It expresses where something is, how someone feels, and what is happening right now. Together with ser, it forms one of the most distinctive features of Portuguese -- two verbs for English "to be." This page covers all the present indicative forms of estar and the situations where it is the right choice.
Conjugation
Estar is irregular in the present indicative. The stressed forms carry a written accent on the final syllable, which is unusual for an -ar verb.
| Person | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| eu | estou | I am |
| tu | estás | you are |
| ele / ela / você | está | he/she is; you are |
| nós | estamos | we are |
| (vós) | (estais) | (you all are) |
| eles / elas / vocês | estão | they are; you all are |
Physical location
The most straightforward use of estar is to say where someone or something is located. Location is inherently changeable, so estar is the natural choice.
Estou em casa.
I am at home.
O livro está na mesa.
The book is on the table.
Onde estás? Estou no supermercado.
Where are you? I'm at the supermarket.
Even buildings and cities use estar when you are talking about their position relative to something else: O museu está perto da estação (The museum is near the station).
Temporary states and conditions
When describing how someone or something is right now -- rather than what it always is -- use estar. These states are expected to change.
Estou cansado.
I am tired.
A sopa está quente.
The soup is hot.
The same adjective can appear with ser or estar and the meaning shifts. Compare:
| With estar (temporary) | With ser (permanent) |
|---|---|
| Ela está bonita hoje. (She looks pretty today.) | Ela é bonita. (She is pretty.) |
| O café está frio. (The coffee is cold.) | O Inverno é frio. (Winter is cold.) |
| Ele está nervoso. (He is nervous right now.) | Ele é nervoso. (He is a nervous person.) |
Emotions and moods
Feelings and emotional states are temporary by nature, so they almost always take estar.
Estou contente com os resultados.
I am happy with the results.
Eles estão preocupados com o exame.
They are worried about the exam.
Weather
In informal speech, estar is used impersonally (3rd person singular) to talk about the weather.
Está frio hoje.
It is cold today.
Está um dia bonito.
It's a beautiful day.
The EP progressive: estar a + infinitive
This is one of the most important constructions in European Portuguese. To express an action happening right now, EP uses estar a + infinitive. This is the standard progressive form and a key marker that distinguishes European from Brazilian Portuguese, which uses estar + gerund instead (e.g. estou trabalhando).
Estou a trabalhar.
I am working.
Ela está a falar ao telefone.
She is talking on the phone.
Estamos a aprender português.
We are learning Portuguese.
The construction works with all persons -- simply conjugate estar and follow it with a and the infinitive of the main verb:
| Person | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| eu | Estou a ler. | I am reading. |
| tu | Estás a comer. | You are eating. |
| ele / você | Está a dormir. | He is sleeping. |
| nós | Estamos a estudar. | We are studying. |
| eles / vocês | Estão a correr. | They are running. |
How are you?
One of the first phrases you will use with estar is the greeting "How are you?" In EP, the form depends on whether you are using tu (informal) or você (formal).
Como estás? -- Estou bem, obrigado.
How are you? -- I'm fine, thank you. (informal, male speaker)
Como está? -- Estou bem, obrigada.
How are you? -- I'm fine, thank you. (formal, female speaker)
Notice that the answer always uses estou regardless of how the question was asked -- you are talking about yourself.
Common expressions with estar
Estar appears in many everyday expressions that are worth memorizing as fixed phrases:
- estar bem -- to be well (Estou bem.)
- estar mal -- to be unwell, to be wrong (Ele está mal.)
- estar de acordo -- to agree (Estamos de acordo.)
- estar à vontade -- to be comfortable, make yourself at home (Esteja à vontade.)
- estar a fim de -- to feel like (informal) (Estás a fim de sair?)
- estar com fome / sede / sono -- to be hungry / thirsty / sleepy (Estou com fome.)
- estar prestes a -- to be about to (Estou prestes a sair.)
- estar para -- to be in the mood for / about to (Não estou para conversas.)
Common mistakes
1. Saying estou fazendo instead of estou a fazer. This is the single most audible marker that distinguishes European from Brazilian Portuguese. In Portugal, the progressive is always estar a + infinitive: estou a comer, estás a ver, estamos a aprender. The gerund-based estou comendo is grammatical but distinctly Brazilian and sounds foreign in Lisbon or Porto. If there is one habit to form early, it is this one.
2. Using ser for locations and temporary states. Learners who equate "to be" with ser often produce Eu sou em casa for "I am at home." The correct form is Estou em casa. For location, mood, weather, and any condition that is not inherent, estar is required. Reserve ser for identity, essence, and stable traits.
3. Dropping the accent on está, estás, or estão. These forms carry mandatory written accents: an acute on estás and está, a til on estão. Writing esta (without accent) turns the verb into a feminine demonstrative ("this"), which can garble your sentence entirely: esta casa means "this house," while está casa is a verb with its subject somewhere else.
4. Confusing estar bem with ser bom. Estou bem means "I am well" -- a temporary state. Eu sou bom means "I am good (at something)" or "I am a good person" -- an enduring quality. A sick friend answers Não estou bem, not Não sou bom. The ser/estar split is not just grammatical but conceptual: Portuguese encodes the difference between a moment and a nature.
5. Using the gerund after estar for habits. Even speakers who correctly say estou a trabalhar sometimes slip into estou trabalhando todos os dias for "I work every day." The progressive (in either form) describes ongoing action right now, not routine. For habits, use the simple present: Trabalho todos os dias. Save estar a + infinitive for things happening at this very moment.
What comes next
With estar mastered, explore how it contrasts with ser in Ser vs Estar Overview and Estar: Temporary States. For the progressive construction in depth, see Progressive with Estar. For the other essential irregular verb, see Present Indicative of Ser.
Related Topics
- Present Indicative OverviewA1 — Uses and formation of the present tense in Portuguese
- Present Indicative of SerA1 — The highly irregular verb ser in the present tense
- Ser, Estar, Ficar: Three Verbs for 'To Be'A1 — European Portuguese splits the English verb 'to be' into three: ser for identity and essence, estar for current states and location, and ficar for becoming and fixed location. This page gives the high-level map.
- Estar for States, Conditions, and FeelingsA1 — Using estar to describe how someone or something is right now — physical states, emotions, weather, and the tricky estar com pattern.
- Estar a + Infinitive: the European Portuguese ProgressiveA2 — How European Portuguese expresses ongoing actions: not with estar + gerund, but with estar a + infinitive (estou a ler, estás a falar). Full paradigm across tenses, the sister periphrases andar a / continuar a / passar a, and why this construction is the single most important marker of EP speech.