Estar Conjugation Chart: Complete Guide to "To Be"

Sofia had been learning Spanish for two months and felt confident about "ser." She could say "Soy americana," "Es mi hermano," and "Son las tres" without thinking. Then her host mother in Bogotá asked, "¿Cómo estás?" and Sofia answered "Soy bien." Her host mother smiled and gently corrected her: "Estoy bien." That one correction unlocked an entire side of Spanish that Sofia hadn't fully grasped—the verb estar, which handles everything ser doesn't: feelings, health, locations, and actions in progress.

Spanish splits "to be" into two verbs. Ser handles identity and defining traits. Estar handles states, conditions, and positions that can change. If you already know ser, learning estar gives you the other half of one of the most important concepts in the language.

This guide covers every major estar tense, explains exactly when to use estar over ser, and includes enough practice to make the forms automatic.

When to Use Estar

Adjectives That Change Meaning

Some adjectives take on different meanings depending on which verb you use:

These pairs are worth memorizing—they come up frequently in conversation.

Present Tense (Presente)

Note the accent marks on estás, está, estáis, están. The first person (estoy) is the only truly irregular form.

Example sentences:

• Estoy cansado después del trabajo. (I'm tired after work.)
• ¿Dónde estás? (Where are you?)
• Los niños están en el parque. (The kids are in the park.)
• Estamos listos para salir. (We're ready to leave.)

Preterite (Pretérito Indefinido)

The preterite of estar uses the irregular stem estuv-. Use it for temporary states that are now over.

Example sentences:

• Estuve en Madrid la semana pasada. (I was in Madrid last week.)
• Estuvimos enfermos durante tres días. (We were sick for three days.)
• ¿Dónde estuviste ayer? (Where were you yesterday?)

Imperfect (Pretérito Imperfecto)

The imperfect is completely regular. Use it for ongoing or habitual past states.

Example sentences:

• Estaba leyendo cuando llamaste. (I was reading when you called.)
• Siempre estábamos cansados después de la clase. (We were always tired after class.)
• El gato estaba debajo de la mesa. (The cat was under the table.)

Preterite vs Imperfect of Estar

Future Tense (Futuro Simple)

Regular—just add standard future endings to the infinitive stem "estar-."

Example: Estaré en la oficina hasta las seis. (I'll be at the office until six.)

Conditional (Condicional Simple)

Also regular. Used for hypothetical states.

Example: Estaría más tranquilo si tuviera más tiempo. (I'd be calmer if I had more time.)

Present Subjunctive (Subjuntivo Presente)

Example sentences:

• Espero que estés bien. (I hope you're well.)
• No creo que esté lista. (I don't think she's ready.)
• Quiero que estemos todos juntos. (I want us all to be together.)

Estar + Gerund: The Progressive Tense

One of the most practical uses of estar. Combine estar with a gerund (-ando for -ar verbs, -iendo for -er/-ir verbs) to describe actions happening right now:

• Estoy estudiando. (I'm studying.)
• Está lloviendo. (It's raining.)
• Estamos comiendo. (We're eating.)
• ¿Qué estás haciendo? (What are you doing?)

This construction works in any tense:

• Estaba durmiendo. (I was sleeping.) — past progressive
• Estaré trabajando. (I'll be working.) — future progressive

Visual Summary: Estar Across All Tenses

• Presente: estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están
• Pretérito: estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis, estuvieron
• Imperfecto: estaba, estabas, estaba, estábamos, estabais, estaban
• Futuro: estaré, estarás, estará, estaremos, estaréis, estarán
• Condicional: estaría, estarías, estaría, estaríamos, estaríais, estarían
• Subjuntivo: esté, estés, esté, estemos, estéis, estén

Essential Expressions with Estar

These fixed phrases appear in everyday conversation:

• estar de acuerdo — to agree: Estoy de acuerdo contigo.
• estar bien / mal — to be well / unwell: ¿Estás bien?
• estar listo/a — to be ready: Estamos listos.
• estar a punto de — to be about to: Estoy a punto de salir.
• estar de vacaciones — to be on vacation: Están de vacaciones.
• estar harto/a de — to be fed up with: Estoy harto de esperar.
• estar de buen/mal humor — to be in a good/bad mood.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

1. Using ser for emotions: "Soy triste" → Estoy triste. Emotions are temporary states, so they use estar.

2. Using ser for location: "Soy en la escuela" → Estoy en la escuela. People's and objects' locations always use estar.

3. Confusing "es listo" and "está listo": "Es listo" = he's clever (personality). "Está listo" = he's ready (current state). Both are correct, but they mean different things.

4. Forgetting the progressive: English speakers sometimes use simple present where Spanish needs estar + gerund. "I'm eating" = Estoy comiendo, not "Como" (which means "I eat" in general).

5. Preterite stem error: "Esté" in the preterite → Estuve. The preterite stem is estuv-, not est-.

Step-by-Step Plan: Learning Estar in 7 Days

• Day 1: Memorize the present tense. Write five sentences about how you feel right now and where you are.
• Day 2: Practice ser vs estar with ten sentences. Decide which verb fits and explain why.
• Day 3: Learn estar + gerund. Describe five things happening around you right now.
• Day 4: Learn the preterite (estuv-). Write five sentences about where you were last week and how you felt.
• Day 5: Learn the imperfect. Describe ongoing past states: "Estaba cansado," "Estaba en casa."
• Day 6: Learn the subjunctive. Practice with "Espero que estés…" and "No creo que esté…"
• Day 7: Review all tenses. Write a paragraph describing your day using at least three different estar tenses.

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1 — Fill in the blank (present):

1. Yo ___ cansado. (estoy)
2. ¿Dónde ___ mis llaves? (están)
3. Nosotros ___ en el aeropuerto. (estamos)

Exercise 2 — Ser or estar?

1. Mi hermano ___ enfermo. (está — temporary state)
2. Ella ___ doctora. (es — profession)
3. El café ___ frío. (está — temporary condition)
4. La reunión ___ a las tres. (es — scheduled event)

Exercise 3 — Form the progressive:

1. Yo / estudiar → Estoy estudiando.
2. Ellos / comer → Están comiendo.
3. Tú / dormir → Estás durmiendo.

Make Estar Automatic Through Conversation

Estar becomes natural when you use it to describe real situations—how you feel, where you are, what's happening around you. The more you produce sentences with estar in context, the faster you stop translating from English. If you want daily speaking practice with instant corrections on ser vs estar, try Parlai and practice describing your day in Spanish.