SPANISH NOTEBOOK

VERB ESTAR

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VERB TO BE - ESTAR

PRESENT TENSE OF VERB ESTAR

ESTAR, which means "to be", is an irregular verb. Here are the present tense forms:

LISTEN

Yo estoy ...
Tú estás ...
Él está ...
Ella está ...
Usted está ...
Nosotros(as) estamos ...
Vosotros(as) estáis ...
Ellos(as) están ...
Ustedes están ...
 

I am ...
You are ... (informal)
He is ...
She is ...
You are ... (formal)
We are ...
You all are ... (informal)
They are ...
You all are ... (formal)

TO EXPRESS LOCATION

The verb ESTAR is used to say where people or things are located.

Richmond está en Virginia
Los estudiantes están en la escuela
Nandy está en la casa

Richmond is in Virginia
The students are in the school
Nandy is at home

EXPRESSING CHANGEABLE CHARACTERISTICS

ESTAR is also used to express conditions such as emotions, feelings, and health at a given moment - characteristics that can change.

Nosotros estamos tristes
Benjamín y Carmen están enamorados
Tú estás enfermo

We are sad
Benjamin and Carmen are in love
You are sick

You use ESTAR to find out where people is located and how people is feeling:

¿Dónde está José?
José está en la biblioteca
¿Cómo está Linda?
Ella está enferma

Where is José?
José is in the library
How is Linda?
She is sick

¡¡¡IMPORTANTE!!!


Although SER and ESTAR mean TO BE, they have different uses in Spanish. These two verbs can be used with the same adjective and have two different meaning:

Yo soy feliz     I am happy (I am a happy person always)
Yo estoy feliz     I am happy (I am happy now due to a special situation - this feeling can change)