El paquete está sobre la báscula.

to be

Breakdown of El paquete está sobre la báscula.

• el paquete: the package
• sobre: on
• la báscula: the parcel scale

Questions & Answers about El paquete está sobre la báscula.

Why is it está instead of es?

Because Spanish uses estar for location in almost all normal cases.

Here, El paquete está sobre la báscula is talking about where the package is, so está is the correct choice.

A useful rule:

• ser = identity, origin, characteristics
• estar = location, condition, temporary states

So:

• El paquete es pesado. = The package is heavy.
• El paquete está sobre la báscula. = The package is on the scale.

What does sobre mean here?

In this sentence, sobre means on, on top of, or over.

So sobre la báscula means the package is physically positioned on the scale.

Be careful: sobre can also mean about/concerning in other contexts:

• un libro sobre historia = a book about history

But in this sentence, the physical-location meaning is the one being used.

Why does the sentence use el paquete and la báscula instead of just paquete and báscula?