The verb estar (to be, to be) is one of the most important irregular verbs in the Spanish language, since it is used to express actions in various kinds of situations. Therefore, knowing the conjugation of estar in the present, past and future tenses, as well as the ability to use this verb correctly, is fundamental to understanding many Spanish expressions.
The difference between the use of the verbs estar and ser
The verb ser (to be, to appear) and the verb estar (to be, to be) have fairly close meanings, however, unlike the verb ser, which describes actions of a permanent nature, estar is used to express temporary actions occurring at the current moment in time. For example: Marisol es mujer - Marisol is a woman (in this case es is in the present tense of the third person singular, when translated into Russian it can be omitted), that is, Marisol is a woman and will always be one. And another example: Marisol está en su casa - Marisol is at home, that is, she is there now, and in an hour she can leave the house to go to the store.
This understanding of the differences in the use of ser and estar helps in understanding more complex situations. For example, Marisol es pálida and Marisol está pálida, in the first case it is said that Marisol has a pale skin color, and in the second case that she has turned pale. Another example: Marisol es mala and Marisol está mal. The first sentence is translated as follows: Marisol is bad (evil and harmful), while the second sentence is translated as Marisol is sick.
Conjugation estar for indicative tenses
Being an irregular verb, estar is conjugated according to its own rules, different from those used by verbs ending in -ar. For simple tenses of the present, past and future in the indicative mood, the conjugation of the verb estar has the form presented in the table.
| Time | I | You | he, she | We | You | They |
| present | estoy | estás | está | estamos | estáis | están |
| past imperfect | estaba | estabas | estaba | estábamos | estabais | estaban |
| future | estare | estaras | estara | estaremos | estareis | estaran |
For example: Estoy en viaje - I am traveling. Javier estaba en viaje - Javier traveled. Estaremos en viaje en mes próximo - We will be traveling next month.
Subjunctive mood
The subjunctive mood is used when the speaker wants to convey his desires, express some dubious action that may occur if some condition is met. The conjugation of estar in the subjunctive mood for the three tenses takes the form presented in the following table.
| Time | I | You | he, she | We | You | They |
| present | esté | estés | esté | estemos | estéis | estén |
| future | estuviere | estuvieres | estuviere | estuvieremos | estuviereis | estuvieren |
| past imperfect | estuviera | estuvieras | estuviera | estuvieramos | estuvierais | estuvieran |
To show how these conjugations are used in the subjunctive mood, we give the following examples:
- Ojalá estuvieres en su casa mañana - Perhaps you will be at his house tomorrow.
- Quienquiera que esté en el palacio será castigado con dos meses de prisión - Anyone who finds himself in this castle will be punished with two months of imprisonment.
- Si yo estuviera en su lugar ayudaría a esta anciana - If I were in his place, I would help this old lady.
Imperative
This mood is used to convey an order or request to another person. The conjugation of estar in this mood is as follows:
- For the second person singular (you) in the positive form it is está, and in the negative form it is no estés.
- For the third person singular (you) in the positive form it is estad, in the negative form it is no estéis.
Examples of using the conjugation estar in the imperative mood in Spanish:
- ¡Está felizmente enamorado! - Be happily in love!
- ¡No estés tan triste, por favor! - Don't be so sad, please!
- ¡Estad quietos, chicos! - Calm down, boys!
- ¡No estéis andando lejos de casa! - Don't go far from home!
Set expressions with estar
Since the verb estar is one of the main and frequently used verbs in the Spanish language, there are many set expressions with it that are recommended to be memorized in order to understand spoken language more clearly. Below are the most common of these expressions:
- What do you think? - How are you doing, how are you?
- Estamos de mudanza - We are changing our place of residence, moving.
- Estamos en otoño - It's autumn here.
- Estoy que me caigo - I'm just falling off my feet from fatigue.
- No estoy para bromas - I'm not in the mood to joke.
- Ella está que estalla de satisfacción - She's about to explode with complacency.
- Ya está - this is what they say when they want to convey information that the job is done.
- ¿Estamos? - Is everything clear?
- Estar de más - To be extra.
One of the most commonly used verbs in Spanish, Estar, a verb meaning "to be", is irregular, meaning that it does not follow a common conjugation pattern.
The present indicative form of Estar
The present form of the verb Estar means that the verb expresses an action that is happening now or is current. Demonstrative means that the verb is a statement of fact. In Spanish this is called Presente Del Indicativo.
For example, “How can I tell if I I talk to a bot? "or Ó Cómo puedo saber si Estoy hablando con un bot? In English, the real indicative form of Estar is "I / am / am."
Preterite Demonstrative form of Estar
The pre-indicative form is used for past actions that have been completed. In Spanish this is called pretérito.
For example, "They We also in the family photo "translated into También estuvieron en la photo is familiar. In English the preterite indicative form Estar is "were"
Imperfect indicative form Estar
The imperfect indicative form or Imperfecto Del Indicativo in Spanish is used to talk about a past action or state of existence without specifying when it began or ended.
This is often equivalent to "were" in English.
As an example: “He proposed marriage to her while they We on a roller coaster" translated to Le propuso matrimonio mientras estaban en una montaña rusa. In English, the imperfect indicative form of Estar is "were"
Future indicative form of Estar
Future indicative form, or Futuro Del Indicativo in Spanish, is used to say what will or should happen. It means "will" in English.
For example, Creed lo que os digo, y estaráis Seguros means "believe what I tell you, and you will safe."
Conditional indicative form Estar
The indicative conditional, or el conditional, is used to express probability, possibility, surprise, or supposition and is usually translated into English as if, could, should have, or probably.
For example, "Some of them it would be happy if the killer dies, "will translate to Algunos de ellos estarian Felices Si Muriera El Asesino.
Present subjunctive form Estar
The present subjunctive, or present subjunctive, functions much like the present demonstrative in time, except that it relates to mood and is used in situations of doubt, desire, or emotion and is usually subjective.
Use the present subjunctive mood when you want the subject to do something. You also use die with a pronoun and a verb.
For example, "I hope that you are prepared ", it will be said, Espero que Estes preparation.
Imperfect subjunctive form Estar
The imperfect subjunctive, or imperfect, is used as a sentence describing something in the past, and is used in situations of doubt, desire, emotion, and generally subjectively.
For example, "If I We If I were you, I'd do the same," which means Si yo estuviera en tu lugar, haría lo mismo.
Imperative form Estar
The imperative, or imperativo in Spanish, is used to give commands or orders. Because a person orders others, the first person is not used.
For example, " Let's be ready when they arrive," translates into Estemos Listing Cuando Llegan.
Gerund form Estar
A gerund, or gerundio in Spanish, refers to the "-ing" form of a verb. In Spanish, the gerund functions more like an adverb. To form a gerund, as in English, all words have the same ending, in this case -ando. E star becomes estando.
For example, "This is what you should do while being pregnant, "translated as, Esto es lo qué debes hacer estando embarazada.
Past Communion Estar
The past participle corresponds to the English -en or -ed form of the verb. It is created by dropping -ar and adding -ado, Verb, estar, becoming Estado.
For example, "We have was in your situation "translates to Hemos Estado en tu situación.
Key takeaway
- Estar usually means "to be", so its conjugate forms have meanings such as "is", "was", "was" and "will be".
- Estar is conjugated irregularly. The form meaning "I am" becomes Estoy and some other forms take -tuv- in the final.
- Regular forms of Estar include the gerund and past participle, used to form complex tenses.
Remember that everything you learn must be spoken out loud, listening to the voiceover of both the lesson itself and the answers to the exercises. Don’t be afraid if you are not yet familiar with the reading rules - just repeat after the announcer and return to the file according to the reading rules.
The pronunciation will pick up on its own as you work with the Spanish language.
Listen to the audio lesson with additional explanations
In Spanish, as in all other European languages, you can't just say:
I'm beautiful, he's weird, they're at home, you're at work.
Get used to what any foreigner will say:
I There is beautiful, she There is weird, they There is at home, you There is At work.
The so-called verb be– one of the most important verbs in any foreign language.
The British have to be. The Germans have sein .
The French have être. The Italians have essere .
The Spanish also have a verb be. And not one, but two. What's the difference?
Conjugation of the verb ser
Verb ser – to be someone, something (something like a characteristic of a person, his description).
For example:
He (is) the director, and she (is) the secretary. He (is) very rich, and she (is) very beautiful.
Él es directory ella es secretaria. Él es muy rico y ella es muy hermosa.
The verb does not change according to the rules, you just need to remember:
| Ser | ||
|---|---|---|
| Yo | soy | I am |
| Tú | eres | You are |
| Él/ella/usted | es | He/she/you are |
| Nosotros, as | somos | We are |
| Vosotros, as | sois | You are |
| Ellos, as / ustedes | son | They/You are |
Negative form of the verb ser
Before a verb (any verb in any tense) simply put the particle no.
| Yo | no soy | I don't have |
| Tú | no heres | You are not |
| Él/ella/usted | no es | He/she/you are not |
| Nosotros, as | no somos | We are not |
| Vosotros, as | no sois | You are not |
| Ellos, as / ustedes | no son | They/You are not |
Interrogative form of the verb ser
Complete analogy with the Russian language. What we want to ask, we highlight with intonation. The only thing to remember for writing is:
When writing a question, put it at the beginning of the sentence.
an inverted question mark ¿, and at the end - a regular ?
¿Es director? - Is he the director?
Conjugation of the verb estar
Verb estar – to be, to be in the moment.
¿Está ahora en el trabajo? – Is he at work now?
For example, you say:
Soy el director. Hoy estoy en el trabajo y mañana estoy en Canarias. – I'm the director. Today I'm at work, and tomorrow I'm in the Canaries.
In the first case you will use the verb ser, and in the second you will use the verb estar.
The verb ser answers the questions: You are Who? What?
Verb estar - to the question: Where?
Set expressions with the verb estar
With the verb estar in Spanish, as in French and Italian, there are a lot of set expressions that are easier to learn once than to constantly think about which of the verbs to be should be used in a sentence:
Coordination
What to pay attention to. In Russian we say:
I'm healthy, I'm healthy A, they are healthy s.
I'm busy, I'm busy A, they're busy s.
In grammar language this is called agree adjective in gender and number. If it’s simpler, then you need to put the correct endings.
A man will always speak with the ending -o
Woman – -a
They, we – -os / -as
Están contentos porque están sanos. – They are happy because they are healthy. (men and women)
Están contentas porque están sanas. – They are happy because they are healthy. (women)
Estoy enfermo porque hace calor. – I'm sick because it's hot.
Estoy enferma porque hace calor. – I'm sick because it's hot.
Estamos enfermos porque hace calor. – We are sick because it is hot. (men and women, men)
Estamos enfermas porque hace calor. – We are sick because it is hot. (women)
The verbs Ser and Estar are basic linking words in Spanish, but they are often confused because both verbs are translated "to be." However, each of them carries a completely different meaning. In this lesson we will look at all the rules and features of using and.
First let's look at the conjugation of the verb Ser in
1. present tense:
3. in the past perfect tense
4. in the future tense
yo sere - I will | nosotros seremos - we will |
Use of the verb Ser
1. Description of constant quality, unchanging characteristics. Use Ser when you say a person's name and describe them.
- Yo soy Marta. - I'm Martha.
- Él es Paco. - He's Paco.
- Yo soy alto. - I'm tall.
- Ellos son tranquilos. - They are calm.
- Mi hermana es intelligence. — My sister is smart.
2. Profession. Use Ser when you want to name a person's profession:
- Soy professor. - I am an educator.
- Ella era camarera. — She was a waitress.
— Mi hijo será actor. — My son will be an actor.
- Somos estudiantes. - We are students.
3. Time. When you say the day of the week and hour, use Ser:
- Hoy es jueves. - Today is Thursday.
— Mañana será el viernes. - Tomorrow will be Friday.
- Es la una. — It’s one o’clock now (01.00 or 13.00)
- Son las tres. — It’s three o’clock now.
Note that when you say "hour" you use es , and with all numbers greater than 1 you use son .
4. Place of birth, nationality, origin. When you say where someone is from, their nationality, or what they are made of, use Ser:
- Soy de Italia. - I'm from Italy.
— Eres de Argentina. — You are from Argentina.
- Es alemán. - He's German.
— Son rusos. - They are Russian.
- La mesa es de madera. — Table made of wood.
- La cadena es de plata. — Silver chain.
5. Family relationships, religions. If you want to indicate family ties and talk about your religion, use Ser:
- Juan es mi marido. - Juan is my husband.
- Anna es mi hermana. - Anna is my sister.
- Soy catolico. - I am Catholic.
- Soy orthodoxa. - I am Orthodox.
6. Price. Use Ser to ask for price:
— ¿Cuánto es? - what is the price?
7. Using Ser, they describe the unchanging characteristics of objects. For example, age, color, size, quality.
- El bolso es grande. — The bag is big.
- La película es buena. - The film is good.
- La casa es blanca. - The house is white.
- El coche es nuevo. - The car is new.
Let's look at examples of the use of Ser in monologue and dialogues:
Daniel: Te presento a unos amigos: este es David. Es medico.
I introduce you to my friends: this is David. He is a doctor.
David y yo somos compañeros de trabajo.
David and I are work colleagues.
Esta es Natalia. Natalia es de Sevilla. Somos amigos.
This is Natalya. Natalia from Seville. We are friends.
Estos son Miguel y Alejandro. Son argentinos. Son actors.
This is Miguel and Alejandro. They are Argentinians. They are actors.
Estas son Sandra y Monica. Son brasilñas. Son compañeras de clase.
This is Sandra and Monica. They are Brazilian. They are classmates.
Petra: Buenos días. - Good morning.
Pablo: Quién eres? - Who are you?
Petra: Soy Petra, y tú? – I’m Petra, and you?
Pablo: Soy Pablo. - I'm Pablo.
Petra: Y ella, ¿quién es? - And who is she?
Pablo: Es Anna. Es mi amiga. - She's Anna. She's my friend.
Petra: ¿Qué eres? - What do you do for a living?
Pablo: Soy estudiante. ¿Y tú? - I'm a student, what about you?
Petra: Soy medico. Y ella, ¿qué es? - I am a doctor. And she, what does she do?
Pablo: Es enfermera. - She's a nurse.
Petra: Encantada. - Very nice.
Pablo: Bueno, mucho gusto. - Mutually, very nice.
Peter: ¡Hola! Soy Peter. - Hello, I'm Peter.
Susana: Yo soy Susan. - I'm Suzanne.
Peter: Encantado. Yo soy alemán, de Munich. ¿De donde eres? - Very nice. I'm German, from Munich. Where are you from?
Susana: Soy inglesa, de Londres. – I’m English, from London.
Peter: ¿Son ellos también ingleses? -Are they English too?
Susana: No, no son ingleses. Lucía es italiana, es de Roma. Raymond es americano, es de Florida. ¿Quién es nuestro profesor? - No, they are not English. Lucia is Italian, she is from Rome. Raymond is American, he is from Florida. Who is our teacher?
Peter: El señor García es nuestro profesor. – Mr. Garcia is our teacher.
Susana: ¿Cómo es el señor García? – Which Mr. Garcia?
Peter: Es alto, moreno y muy simpático. “He is tall, dark and very friendly.
Susana: ¿Español o sudamericano? – Is he Spanish or Latin American?
Peter: Español, de Madrid. - He is Spanish, from Madrid.
Conjugation of the verb Estar
The verb Estar is translated not only as “to be,” but also as “to be.” For convenience, we will use the second translation option.
1) in the present tense
3) in the past perfect form
4) in the future tense
yo estare – I will be there | nosotros estaremos – we will be |
Use of the verb Estar
1. Location. If you want to know or indicate where an object or person is, use the verb Estar:
— Estoy en casa. - I'm home.
— What do you think? -Where is the book?
— La oficina está al lado del café. – The office is located next to the cafe.
— ¿Dónde estás ahora? -Where are you now?
2. Temporary condition. When you describe the state of a person or thing at a given moment, use the verb Estar:
- Estoy cansado. - I'm tired.
— Estábamos enfermos. - We were sick.
— ¿Por qué estás nervioso? – Why are you nervous?
3. Action in the present moment. With Estar, you can emphasize that a certain action is happening now. For this purpose, the Estar and .
- Estamos bailando. - We are dancing now.
— ¿Con quién estás hablando? – Who are you talking to now?
— Están trabajando. - They are working now.
4. Temperature. When you want to say how many degrees it is outside, use Estar in the plural and first person (we) and the preposition a:
— Estamos a 28 grados hoy. – Today it’s 28 degrees.
5. Days and months. To say the date, use the plural and first person Estar (we):
Let's look at examples of using Estar:
Julia: Entras y está el recibidor. El cuarto de baño está a la derecha. Uno de los dormitorios está al lado. El salón está en frente de la entrada. La cocina está al lado del comedor.
Julia: You walk in and there is a hallway. The bathroom is on the right. One of the bedrooms is nearby. The hall is located opposite the entrance. The kitchen is located next to the dining room.
La iglesia está en el centro. El teatro y el parque están a la derecha de la iglesia. Los bares y las tiendas están en la calle principal. Los hoteles están cerca de la playa.
The church stands in the center. The theater and park are located to the right of the church. Bars and shops line the main street. Hotels are located near the beach.
Difference between Ser and Estar
Note that SER and ESTAR completely change the meaning of a phrase when used with the same word. Let's look at a few examples:
es aburrido | he's boring | Está aburrido | he's bored |
es bueno | he's good | Está bueno | how delicious, how good! |
es cansado | he's boring | Está cansado | |
es grave | it is heavy (dangerous) | está grave | he is seriously ill now |
es listo | está listo | ||
es malo | he's bad | está malo | he doesn't feel well |
es orgulloso | he is proud | Está orgulloso | he's proud now |
es moreno | he's dark-skinned | está moreno | he's tanned |
es palido | he's pale | está palido | he turned pale |
es pesado | it's heavy | Está pesado | he talks boringly |
es rico | he's rich | está rico | it's delicious |
es seguro | it's safe | está seguro | he's sure |
es verde | it's green | está verde | he's immature |
es viejo | he's old | está viejo | looks old and shabby |
es vivo | está vivo |
Exercises
Do some exercises to practice what you have learned.
Verb ser to be, to be used:
1. to identify a person or thing:
- ¿Quién es este muchacho? - Es mi hijo. - Who is this young man? - This is my son.
- What is it? - Es mi coche nuevo. - What is this? - This is my new car.
2. to indicate nationality, religion, affiliation with a party:
- Antonio es Mexicano. - Antonio is Mexican.
- Maria es católica. - Maria is a Catholic.
- ¿Es usted socialista? - No, no soy socialista, soy comunista. - Are you a socialist? - No, I'm not a socialist, I'm a communist.
3. to describe appearance (always with an adjective):
- Maria es alta y delgada. - Maria is tall and slender.
- Todos sus amigos son muy simpáticos. - All his friends are very nice.
4. For description of shapes and colors:
- Es una mesa cuadrada. Es de color marron. - This table is square. It is brown in color.
- Mi coche es azul y el tuyo es rojo. - My car is blue and yours is red.
5. to indicate a profession:
- Soy traductora. - I am a translator.
- Juan es abogado. - Juan is a lawyer.
- Estas muchachas son enfermeras. - These girls are nurses.
6. to indicate the days of the week and the hour:
- What do you think? - Hoy es lune. - What day is it today? - Today is Monday.
- ¿Qué hora es? - Son las dos y media. - What time is it? - It's half past two.
7. to indicate the number of persons present or the presence of objects:
- Somos seis personas en la habitación. - There are six of us in the room.
- Son dos televisores. - These are two TVs.
8. To indicate the price:
- ¿Cuánto es? - Cien euros. - What is the price? - One hundred euros.
9. to indicate ownership, origin, material (with the preposition de):
- ¿De quién son estas gafas? - Son de mi abuela. - Whose glasses are these? - These are my grandmother's glasses.
- Antonio es de Mexico. - Antonio from Mexico.
- ¿Es usted de Madrid? - No, no soy de Madrid, soy de Barcelona. - Are you originally from Madrid? - No, I'm not from Madrid, I'm from Barcelona.
- En este palacio las escaleras son de mármol. - This palace has marble stairs.
10. in meaning happen, take place (tener lugar, ocurrir):
- La conference es en la Universidad. - The conference will take place at the university.
- El partido de fútbol es el sábado. - The football match will take place on Saturday.
11. verb ser serves to form the passive (passive) voice (see “Passive voice"):
- Gaudí es conocido por sus obras maestras de la arquitectura. - Gaudi is famous for his architectural masterpieces.
Verb estar (to be, to be)
Verb estar to be, to be used:
1. to indicate the place where an object or person is located:
- El antiguo edificio de la Universidad está en el centro de Moscú. - The old university building is located in the center of Moscow.
- Pedro está ahora en el colegio. - Pedro is now in college.
2. to indicate presence or absence:
- ¿Está el jefe? - Sí, está en su despacho. - Is the boss at home? - Yes, he is in his office.
- María no está, llame, por favor, dentro de una hora. - Maria is not here, please call in an hour.
3. to describe the state, well-being:
- ¿Cómo está usted? - Gracias, bien, ¿y usted? - How are you doing? - Thank you, good, what about you?
- Hoy estoy mal. - Today I don't feel well.
4. to indicate marital status:
- Sus hijos ya están casados. - Her sons are already married.
- Juan está soltero, tiene sólo veinte años. - Juan is not yet married, he is only twenty years old.
5. to indicate the date:
- ¿A cuántos estamos hoy? - Estamos a treinta de enero. - What date is today? - Today is January 30th.
6. in paraphrase with the gerund form indicates a long-term action:
- José y yo estamos aprendiendo inglés. - Jose and I are studying English.
- La camarera está limpiando las habitaciones. - The maid cleans the rooms.
Verbs ser and estar with adjectives and participles
Verbs ser And estar often used with adjectives and participles.
Verb ser, when used with an adjective or participle, conveys a permanent quality of an object or person:
- Tu madre es nerviosa. - Your mom is nervous.(character trait)
- La tierra es seca. - The ground is dry.(always dry)
Verb estar, when used with an adjective or participle, conveys a temporary state or quality that can change:
- Tu madre está nerviosa. - Your mom is nervous.(at the moment)
- La tierra está seca. - The ground is dry.(no rain)
But in combinations
- ser feliz, dichoso be happy
- Ser infeliz, desgraciado be unhappy,
where states that may be temporary are expressed, verb estar not used:
- Soy feliz, me ha tocado la loteria. - I'm happy, I won the lottery.
Some adjectives or participles change their meaning depending on their use with verbs ser or estar:
| ser bueno be kind | estar bueno be healthy |
| ser malo be angry | estar malo be sick |
| ser borracho be a drunk | estar borracho be drunk |
| ser callado be secretive | estar callado be silent |
| ser cerrado be withdrawn | estar cerrado be closed(about the door) |
| ser abiero be frank | estar abierto be open |
| ser cansado be annoying | estar cansado be tired |
| ser listo be smart | estar listo be ready |
| ser verde be green | estar verde be immature |
| ser vivo be smart | estar vivo be alive(not dead) |
| ser loco be crazy | estar loco be angry |
| serrico be rich | estar rico be delicious |
| ser muerto be boring | estar muerto be dead |
| ser despierto be lively | estar despierto don't sleep |
- Juan es muy callado, nunca habla de su vida personal. - Juan is very secretive and never talks about his personal life.
- Estás muy callado hoy, ¿qué te pasa? - You are very silent today. What's wrong with you?
- Es una muchacha muy lista, habla tres idiomas extranjeros. - This is a very smart girl, she speaks three foreign languages.
- Tenemos que salir, ya es tarde, ¿estás listo? - It's late, it's time for us to go out. Are you ready?
- En verano todos los árboles son verdes. - In summer all the trees are green.
- No comas esas manzanas, están verdes. - Don't eat these apples, they are unripe.
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