The Spanish Verb Estar

Using ESTAR to Express a Feeling or Condition

Jump Menu: Select Grammar Notes... Spanish Pronunciation People, Places, and Things How To Say "The" And "An" Spanish Subject Pronouns Spanish Verb Ser How to Say Numbers in Spanish How To Tell the Time In Spanish Spanish Verbs in the Present Tense The Spanish Verb IR (to go) Spanish Question Words Spanish Verb ESTAR Spanish Adjectives Part 1 Using ESTAR to Express a Feeling or Condition Talking about the Weather in Spanish Spanish Adjectives Part 2 Spanish Direct Object Pronouns Spanish Indirect Object Pronouns Putting Direct & Indirect Object Pronouns Together Spanish Prepositional Pronouns Spanish Demonstrative Adjectives Spanish Irregular Verbs Spanish Stem Changing Verbs Spanish Irregular Verbs "Yo" Using the Verbs DECIR and DAR Spanish Present Progressive Spanish Verbs SABER and CONOCER Talking about What You Like, Love, and Lack Spanish Reflexive Verbs Talking about What’s Good, Better, and Best Spanish Conjunctions Talking about Something and Nothing Talking about What Happened in the Past Irregular Verbs in the Preterite Regular Irregularities Short Verbs: DAR, VER, IR and SER Verbs that Say One Thing and Mean Something Else Introduction to the Imperfect Past Using Multiple Tenses in a Sentence What I Was Doing When... Verbs that Say One Thing and Mean It How Long Ago Did It Happen? Describing Actions Prepositions Part I: A, DE, EN, HACIA, and CON Prepositions Part II: DESDE, ENTRE, SIN, HASTA More Uses of the Infinitive Prepositions Part III: POR and PARA Asking for Something: PEDIR v. PREGUNTAR Asking the Question, "What?" Using That, Whom, and Which in Statements Either or, Neither Nor Being Contrary: But, Not Only The Future Irregular Verbs in the Future Unusual Ways of Using the Future Tense

 

The verb estar is one of the most useful verbs in Spanish, as it not only describes location but also physical, mental, and emotional states or feelings.

Let’s practice more with this important verb. Express a condition or feeling by adding a descriptive adjective after estar.

Por ejemplo:

1. Estoy muy enojado.
- I am very angry.

2. Mi padre y yo estamos ocupados.
- My father and I are busy.

3. ¿Estás cansado?
- Are you tired?

You can also use estar in this way to describe the condition of various places or things.

Por ejemplo:

1. La casa está limpia.
- The house is clean.

2. Mi habitación está ordenada.
- My room is tidy.

3. La tienda está cerrada.
- The shop is closed.

Remember that these conditions or states must be temporary. In other words, a clean house will eventually become messy, a tidy room will soon become disorganized, and a closed shop will eventually open. If you are describing a permanent condition of something (for example, “La pared es blanca,” or “The wall is white”), you must use ser.

Below is a list of common adjectives used with estar:

Physical conditions or states

Mental or emotional feelings

DO NOT use estar to describe feeling hungry, thirsty, hot, or cold, however. Instead, you will use the verb tener (to have), as in, “I have hunger,” “I have thirst,” “I have heat,” et cetera. You will learn how to use the verb tener in Chapter 5.1.

Using the proper verb to express feelings is very important. If you try to say, “Estoy caliente,” to mean “I am hot” (rather than Tengo calor) people will look at you strangely! That is not because the sentence is grammatically incorrect. Rather, it is because the statement “Estoy caliente” means—to be blunt—“I’m horny.”

When to Use ESTAR, When to Use SER

One of the most difficult things for new Spanish speakers to learn is the difference between ser and estar. Here is a summary to help you clarify their use.

 

The Importance of Getting SER and ESTAR Right

You may wonder why all the fuss. If you confuse ser and estar while you’re in a Spanish-speaking country, they’ll still understand you … right?

I hate to disappoint you, but no. The meaning of many sentences can completely change according to whether you use ser or estar … and sometimes in very embarrassing ways.

Por ejemplo:

1. El niño está aburrido.	The boy is bored.
El niño es aburrido.	The boy is boring.
2. La manzana está verde.	The apple is unripe.
La manzana es verde.	The apple is green.
3. El perro está malo.	The dog is sick.
El perro es malo.	The dog is bad.
4. El hombre está borracho.	The man is drunk.
El hombre es borracho.	The man is a drunk.

 

 

In the next section we’ll work on talking about the weather.

 

Rocket Languages! Home Rocket Spanish   Rocket Spanish Premium Services! For people who seriously want to learn Spanish Learn Spanish Spanish Community Spanish Reviews Members Login     Order Rocket Spanish: Order Download Version Order Shipped Version   Free Spanish Lessons: Spanish Phrases Spanish Grammar Spanish Verbs Latin Culture Spanish Pronunciation   Affiliation: Certification: Guarantee: Secure Payment with:

Help & Contact Us | About Us | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Affiliate Program | Search