Learn Spanish (Latin America): El doctor está en el hospital.

In Spanish, we use the verb estar (to be) to talk about where someone or something is located. Because the sentence tells us the physical location of the doctor, we must use está rather than es.

Why does está have an accent mark?

The accent mark is crucial because it changes the word's meaning. está (with the accent) means 'is', while esta (no accent) means 'this'. It also tells you to put the spoken emphasis on the final syllable.

Does en translate to 'in' or 'at' here?

It covers both! Spanish uses the word en for general location. You don't have to choose between 'in' or 'at' like you do in English; en el hospital perfectly translates both 'in the hospital' and 'at the hospital'.

How do I pronounce hospital in Spanish?

The h at the beginning of Spanish words is always silent. You pronounce this word starting with the 'o' sound (os-pee-tal), and the spoken emphasis goes on the very last syllable.