Learn Spanish (Latin America): El niño está enfermo.

El niño está enfermo.

The boy is sick.

Breakdown of El niño está enfermo.

el niño

the boy

estar

to be (location/state)

enfermo

sick

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Questions & Answers about El niño está enfermo.

Why do we use está here instead of es?

We use está (from the verb estar) because being sick is a physical state or condition. In Spanish, you use estar for temporary states, locations, and how someone is feeling right now, while you use ser for more permanent traits.

Why is there an accent mark on está?

The accent mark shows that the spoken stress falls on the last syllable. It also helps tell it apart from the word esta (without an accent), which means this, as in esta niña (this girl).

If the sentence was about a girl, would enfermo change?

Yes! Describing words (adjectives) have to match the gender of the person they describe. If we were talking about a girl, it would change to end in -a, becoming la niña está enferma.

Shouldn't the word el have an accent mark on it?

Not in this sentence! The word el (without an accent) means the, as in el niño (the boy). The word él (with an accent) means he. The accent mark is the only way to tell them apart in writing!