Breakdown of El árbol está en medio de la plaza.
estar
to be
la plaza
the plaza
el árbol
the tree
en medio de
in the middle of
Questions & Answers about El árbol está en medio de la plaza.
Why is it está and not es in this sentence?
In Spanish, location almost always uses estar, not ser.
So for where something or someone is, you say estar en:
- El árbol está en medio de la plaza. – The tree is in the middle of the square.
- Yo estoy en casa. – I am at home.
You would use es for more permanent characteristics or definitions:
- El árbol es muy alto. – The tree is very tall.
- La plaza es grande. – The square is big.
Why does está have an accent, and what’s the difference between está and esta?
Está (with accent) is a form of the verb estar and means “is” (he/she/it is):
- El árbol está… – The tree is…
Esta (no accent) is a demonstrative adjective or pronoun and means “this” (feminine):
- Esta plaza – This square
- Esta es la plaza. – This is the square.
So in this sentence you need the verb form está, not esta.
Why is it el árbol and not la árbol?