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¿La mesa está aquí?

¿La mesa está aquí?
Is the table here?
From Lesson 11:Locative adverbs (aquí, allí)·Spanish (Spain)

Breakdown of ¿La mesa está aquí?

estar
to be (location/state)
aquí
here
la mesa
the table

Questions & Answers about ¿La mesa está aquí?

Why do we use está instead of es in this sentence?
We use está (from the verb estar) because we are asking about a location—where the table is right now. The other Spanish "to be" verb, ser (es), is used for descriptions, like what the table is made of or what color it is.
What does aquí mean, and how does it relate to allí?
Aquí is a locative adverb that means "here" (close to the speaker). We use it to ask if the table is in our current location. If you wanted to ask if the table was "there" (further away from the speaker), you would use the word allí instead.
Why are the words in the same order as a regular sentence instead of starting with the verb?
In Spanish, you do not have to rearrange the words to ask a question like you do in English (changing "The table is..." to "Is the table..."). You can simply take the normal statement La mesa está aquí, put question marks around it, and raise your voice at the end when speaking.
Why are there accent marks on está and aquí?
Accent marks tell you which part of the word gets the strongest stress when you speak. For both está and aquí, the accent shows that you emphasize the final syllable. The accent on está is especially important because without it, the word esta means "this" (as in "this table"), which would completely change the meaning!

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