Estar is the verb you reach for when you want to say where a person, an animal, or a movable object is right now. The book on the table, the keys in your pocket, your friend at the café, the cat under the bed — all of these take estar because they are located somewhere in a way that could change by tomorrow, this afternoon, or in five minutes. The very logic of estar is "located, for now," which makes it a natural fit for anything that can move or be moved.
What makes Portuguese location different from Spanish — and trickier — is that it does not stop at a single verb. European Portuguese splits location across three verbs: estar (movable things and people), ser (events), and ficar (permanent buildings and geographical features). Knowing which to use is one of the clearest signs that a learner has moved past beginner territory. This page focuses on estar, and then positions it against the other two so you can feel confident in your choice every time.
Estar in the present: the paradigm
| Person | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| eu | estou | I am |
| tu | estás | you are |
| ele / ela / você | está | he/she is; you are |
| nós | estamos | we are |
| eles / elas / vocês | estão | they are; you all are |
In location sentences, all five persons are in play, because you will talk about where you are, where someone else is, and where multiple people or things are.
Where people are
Use estar to say where a person (or an animal) is right now. The preposition is almost always em (in/at), which contracts with the definite article.
| em + article | Contracts to | Example |
|---|---|---|
| em + o | no | no trabalho (at work) |
| em + a | na | na escola (at school) |
| em + os | nos | nos correios (at the post office) |
| em + as | nas | nas Caldas (in Caldas) |
Estou em casa.
I'm at home.
O João está no trabalho até às seis.
João is at work until six.
A Maria está na cozinha a fazer o jantar.
Maria is in the kitchen making dinner.
Os miúdos estão no parque com o avô.
The kids are at the park with their grandfather.
O gato está debaixo do sofá outra vez.
The cat is under the sofa again.
Temporary location in a place you're visiting
When you are in a place for a trip, a stay, a semester abroad, estar is the natural choice because the location is temporary.
Estou em Lisboa esta semana para uma conferência.
I'm in Lisbon this week for a conference.
A minha irmã está no Brasil até junho.
My sister is in Brazil until June.
Estamos de férias em Tavira — o tempo está fantástico.
We're on holiday in Tavira — the weather is fantastic.
Where movable objects are
Any object that can be picked up, carried, driven, or rolled somewhere else takes estar for its location.
O livro está na mesa da sala.
The book is on the living-room table.
As chaves estão no bolso do casaco.
The keys are in the coat pocket.
Onde está o meu telemóvel? — Está em cima do frigorífico.
Where's my phone? — It's on top of the fridge.
O carro está no parque em frente ao prédio.
The car is in the car park in front of the building.
Os óculos estavam no sítio onde sempre os deixo.
The glasses were in the spot where I always leave them.
Common prepositional phrases of location
Location in Portuguese almost always involves a preposition. Here are the most frequent combinations used with estar:
| Portuguese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| em / no / na | in, at, on | Está na gaveta. (It's in the drawer.) |
| perto de | near | Está perto da estação. (It's near the station.) |
| longe de | far from | Está longe daqui. (It's far from here.) |
| ao lado de | next to | Está ao lado do banco. (It's next to the bank.) |
| em frente de / a | in front of, facing | Está em frente do teatro. (It's across from the theatre.) |
| atrás de | behind | Está atrás da porta. (It's behind the door.) |
| à frente de | in front of | Está à frente da fila. (He's at the front of the queue.) |
| em cima de | on top of | Está em cima da prateleira. (It's on the top shelf.) |
| debaixo de / por baixo de | underneath | Está debaixo da cama. (It's under the bed.) |
| dentro de | inside | Está dentro do saco. (It's inside the bag.) |
| fora de | outside | Está fora de casa. (He's out of the house.) |
| entre | between | Está entre as duas janelas. (It's between the two windows.) |
A farmácia está ao lado do café, em frente da paragem.
The pharmacy is next to the café, across from the bus stop.
O comando da televisão está sempre a desaparecer — deve estar atrás da almofada.
The TV remote is always disappearing — it must be behind the cushion.
Estamos perto, só a cinco minutos a pé.
We're nearby, just five minutes on foot.
The three-verb split: estar, ser, ficar
Here is where Portuguese asks for more than English does. Depending on what is located, Portuguese chooses a different verb:
| What is being located | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A person (right now) | estar | O Pedro está no café. |
| A movable object | estar | As chaves estão na mesa. |
| A temporary stay | estar | Estou em Paris esta semana. |
| An event | ser | O concerto é no estádio. |
| A permanent building | ficar | A escola fica na Rua Augusta. |
| A city or country | ficar | Lisboa fica em Portugal. |
| A geographical feature | ficar | A serra fica a norte. |
Contrasting all three in one scene
A universidade fica no centro. O exame é na sala 12. Os estudantes já estão lá.
The university is in the centre. The exam is in room 12. The students are already there.
Look at the three verbs: fica (the university's permanent address), é (the event's scheduled location), estão (people who happen to be there now). English uses one verb for all three; Portuguese uses three.
O restaurante fica ao fundo da rua. O jantar é às oito. Os meus pais já estão lá à nossa espera.
The restaurant is at the end of the street. The dinner is at eight. My parents are already there waiting for us.
Estar versus ficar — when either is possible
For some permanent structures, educated European Portuguese actually accepts both verbs, but with a subtle difference. Ficar emphasizes the permanent geographical fact. Estar emphasizes the current location as if pointing at it on a map.
A catedral fica no centro histórico.
The cathedral is in the historic centre. (permanent fact — the preferred EP phrasing)
A catedral está no centro histórico.
The cathedral is in the historic centre. (also acceptable, but sounds more like you're telling someone where to find it)
For cities, countries, rivers, and mountains — features of geography — ficar is the dominant choice. Mixing in estar for these sounds awkward to Portuguese ears.
✅ O Porto fica no norte de Portugal.
Porto is in the north of Portugal.
❓ O Porto está no norte de Portugal.
Grammatical but odd — sounds like Porto might move.
For details on the ficar side of this split, see Ficar for Permanent Location.
The estar a + infinitive progressive with location
European Portuguese loves combining location with the progressive. Estar a + infinitive says what someone is doing where they are.
Estou a trabalhar no escritório até tarde.
I'm working at the office until late.
Os miúdos estão a brincar no jardim.
The kids are playing in the garden.
A minha mulher está a cozinhar na cozinha — cheira muito bem.
My wife is cooking in the kitchen — it smells great.
Common mistakes
1. Using ser for physical location of people or objects.
❌ Eu sou em casa.
Incorrect — location of a person requires estar.
✅ Estou em casa.
I'm at home.
❌ O livro é na mesa.
Incorrect — a book is an object, not an event.
✅ O livro está na mesa.
The book is on the table.
2. Using estar for permanent buildings and geography.
This is the most distinctively European Portuguese rule — and one Brazilian Portuguese treats more loosely. In Portugal, geographic facts use ficar.
❌ Lisboa está em Portugal.
Grammatical, but sounds unnatural in Portugal.
✅ Lisboa fica em Portugal.
Lisbon is in Portugal.
❌ A escola está na Rua Augusta.
Understood, but the preferred EP phrasing uses ficar.
✅ A escola fica na Rua Augusta.
The school is on Rua Augusta.
3. Using estar for event location.
❌ O casamento está em Sintra.
Incorrect — events take ser.
✅ O casamento é em Sintra.
The wedding is in Sintra.
4. Forgetting em + article contractions.
Portuguese requires em + o = no, em + a = na, em + os = nos, em + as = nas. The uncontracted forms are ungrammatical in most contexts.
❌ Estou em a cozinha.
Incorrect — em + a must contract to na.
✅ Estou na cozinha.
I'm in the kitchen.
5. Using onde está for permanent places.
For a question about where a building or city is, the idiomatic European Portuguese is Onde fica...?, not Onde está...?. Using está for a permanent place sounds like the speaker thinks the building might have moved.
❌ Onde está o museu?
Sounds odd — as if the museum might be in a different place today.
✅ Onde fica o museu?
Where is the museum?
✅ Onde está o teu irmão?
Where is your brother? (movable — estar is correct)
Key takeaways
- Estar is the verb for location of people, animals, and movable objects. If it could be somewhere else tomorrow, use estar.
- Temporary stays (a trip, a semester, a holiday) take estar: Estou em Paris esta semana.
- Event location takes ser (O concerto é no estádio).
- Permanent buildings, streets, cities, countries, and natural features take ficar in European Portuguese (Lisboa fica em Portugal).
- For asking where a permanent place is, the natural EP question is Onde fica...?, not Onde está...?.
- Always contract em with the article: no, na, nos, nas.
Related Topics
- 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.
- Ficar for Permanent LocationA2 — Using ficar to locate cities, buildings, and geographical features — the preferred European Portuguese verb for permanent places.
- Ser for Time, Dates, and EventsA1 — Using ser to tell time, state dates, and locate events — with the crucial distinction between event location (ser) and physical location (estar).
- Present Indicative of EstarA1 — The verb estar in the present tense