Breakdown of Cuando estoy frustrado, cambio de estrategia y repaso una lección más fácil.
yo
I
estar
to be
de
of
y
and
Questions & Answers about Cuando estoy frustrado, cambio de estrategia y repaso una lección más fácil.
Why is it estoy frustrado and not soy frustrado?
Spanish usually uses estar (not ser) for temporary emotional states and feelings:
- Estoy frustrado. = I am (feeling) frustrated right now / in this situation.
- Soy frustrado. – sounds wrong or very odd in Spanish. With ser, it would mean something like I am a frustrated person by nature, which is not how people normally express that idea.
So, for moods, emotions, and changeable conditions, use estar:
estoy triste, estoy cansado, estoy feliz, estoy frustrado, etc.
Does frustrado change if the speaker is female, or if there are several people?
Yes. Frustrado is an adjective and must agree in gender and number with the subject:
- One male: Estoy frustrado.
- One female: Estoy frustrada.
- Several males / mixed group: Estamos frustrados.
- Several females: Estamos frustradas.
Everything else in the sentence stays the same; only the adjective ending changes (‑o / ‑a / ‑os / ‑as).
Could I also say Cuando me frustro instead of Cuando estoy frustrado? What is the difference?