In this lesson you will learn about the irregular Spanish verb estar. Let's see how to conjugate it, and then see it's meaning by looking at some example sentences.
| Conjugations of ser | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| First person | estoy | estamos |
| Second person | estás | estáis |
| Third person | está | están |
Estar has a meaning close to ser, but is used in different situations.
When talking about characteristics of persons or things, estar is often used for things that are of a more temporary nature than ser. For example, ser is used to describe someone as a drunkard, a not so temporary characteristic, whereas estar is used to describe someone as being drunk.
For the same reason, ser is used to describe someone's origin, occupation, religious or political affiliation, relations between people, and character.
Estar is normally used to describe the location of people and things, even when they are permanent locations, whereas ser is used to describe the location of events.
| Sentences with estar | Uses |
|---|---|
| Estoy en el jardín. I am in the garden. | location of person |
| Estás nerviosa hoy. YouFEM are nervous today. | temporary state of person |
| Buenos Aires está en Argentina. Buenos Aires is in Argentina. | location of geographic entity |
| El café está caliente. The coffee is hot. | temporary state of object |
| Estamos contentos con el resultado. We are happy with the result. | temporary state of person |
| Estáis borrachas. YouFEM are drunk. | temporary state of person |
| Las bicicletas están en la casa. The bicyles are in the house. | location of object |
| Sentences with ser | Uses |
|---|---|
| Soy estudiante. I am a student. | long-lasting property (occupation) |
| Eres una mona. YouFEM are a monkey. | long-lasting property |
| La fiesta es en la casa. The party is in the house. | location of event |
| Hoy es jueves. Today is Thursday. | telling time |
| Somos amigos. We are friends. | relation between people |
| Sois borrachas. YouFEM are drunkards. | long-lasting property |
| Son manzanas. They are apples.. | long-lasting property |
