El chico está aquí.

The boy is here.

Breakdown of El chico está aquí.

• estar: to be
• aquí: here
• el chico: the boy

Questions & Answers about El chico está aquí.

Why does the sentence use el instead of un?

El means the, while un means a.

So:

• El chico está aquí = The boy is here
• Un chico está aquí = A boy is here

Use el when you mean a specific boy, or when the boy is already known from the context.

What exactly does chico mean?

Chico usually means boy, but depending on context it can also mean guy, lad, or young man.

In Spain, chico is very common in everyday speech. It is a flexible word:

• un chico = a boy / a guy
• una chica = a girl / a young woman

So in this sentence, chico most naturally means boy, but in some situations it could refer to a young male person more generally.

Why is it está and not es?