La bebida está en la mesa.

to be

Breakdown of La bebida está en la mesa.

• en: on
• la mesa: the table
• la bebida: the drink

Questions & Answers about La bebida está en la mesa.

Why do we use está instead of es in this sentence?

We use está (a form of the verb estar) to indicate the location of something. In Spanish, estar typically describes temporary conditions or locations, whereas ser is used for permanent or essential characteristics. Since la bebida is located on the table, we use está.

Why is la bebida feminine?

In Spanish, nouns are assigned a gender—often unrelated to biological gender. The word bebida ends with "-a," which generally signals feminine nouns. Hence, we use the feminine article la before it.

Could I say La bebida está sobre la mesa instead of en la mesa?

Yes, you could. Sobre means on or on top of, while en can mean in or on depending on context. Both are acceptable to denote that something is on the surface of the table.

What’s the difference between La bebida está en la mesa and La bebida está en la mesa de la cocina?

Both sentences use the same structure for location. However, adding de la cocina clarifies which table—or whose table—you’re referring to (the kitchen’s table). It provides additional context about location.

Is la mesa always feminine?

Yes. The noun mesa is a feminine noun, so we always use the feminine article la. This does not change if it’s a different type of table.