Estar in the Spanish present tense
Estar usually translates as to be, but its functions differ from ser. Use it especially for location, states, conditions and results.
The yo form is special, and estás, está, estáis and están require written accents.
Present forms of estar
Estar is not a regular -AR paradigm. Estoy is a fully irregular form; the other five forms use est-, but estás, está, estáis and están require a written accent. Estamos has no accent.
1. Location of people and things
Use estar to say where a person, object or place is located. Location is not automatically temporary; geographical locations also use estar.
2. Physical and emotional states
Use estar for current physical and emotional states.
3. Conditions and results
Use estar for the condition of a person or thing. Estar + a participle or adjective can describe the result of an action.
4. Estar + gerund
Estar + gerund presents an action in progress. The complete progressive has its own lesson.
5. Ser versus estar
Do not reduce the contrast to permanent versus temporary. Ser identifies; estar locates or presents a state.
6. Useful expressions
Common combinations include estar bien, estar mal, estar de vacaciones, estar de acuerdo, estar ocupado, estar disponible, estar listo, estar cerca and estar lejos.
7. Common mistakes
Yo requires estoy.
Estás requires an accent.
Nosotros requires estamos.
Use ser for an event's location.
8. A reliable method
- Decide whether the sentence expresses location, a state, a condition, a result or an action in progress.
- Identify the subject.
- Choose the matching form.
- Check the required written accent.