When do you use estar?
Spanish has two verbs for to be. Who or what someone is belongs to ser. Estar says how someone is doing and where something is.
Conjugating estar
estar (to be, to be located)
| Person | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | estoy | I am |
| tú | estás | you are (one person, informal) |
| él / ella / usted | está | he / she / it is, you are (polite) |
| nosotros / nosotras | estamos | we are |
| vosotros / vosotras | estáis | you all are (Spain) |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | están | they are, you all are |
Present tense of estar
Estar is almost regular, but not quite: the yo form is estoy, and estás, está, están are stressed on the ending. That is why they carry an accent. English never writes stress down, so it is easy to skip, but here it is not decoration.
What estar is used for
How: wellbeing
¿Cómo estás? Estoy bien.
How are you? I'm fine.
Estoy contento.
I am happy.
Mi madre está enferma.
My mother is ill.
Where: location
Even places that never change take estar. If the sentence answers where?, use estar, no matter how permanent it feels.
Estoy en casa.
I am at home.
¿Dónde está el baño?
Where is the bathroom?
Madrid está en España.
Madrid is in Spain.
