Being Here, There, or Anywhere with Estar Certain aspects of one’s being are variable. You may be sad one day and ecstatic the next. A friend may be ill. Your mother-in-law may be vacationing in Cancun. Those forms of being don't define a person's nature, but rather they define temporary conditions that typically are affected by outside influences. When describing the changing nature of a person, place. or thing in Spanish. you use the verb estar: Like ser, estar literally translates as fo be, but you typically use estar to describe more variable forms of being, such as health, feelings, and location. Like ser, estar is an irregular verb that takes the following present-tense forms: 5c be estoy estamos estas estais esta estan Ellos estan en ol parque. = They are atthe par Because most forms of being have to do with temporary conditions, you can find plenty of uses for the verb estar, as the following examples illustrate: Nosotros estamos en el cine. = We are at the cinema. Ellos estan aburridos. = They are bored. Ella esta triste, - She is sad. Yo estoy enfermo. = am sick. Juan esta en Ia playa. - Juan is at the beach. Deciding when to use estar You know to use the verb estar to describe the changing characteristics of a person, place, or thing, but what exactly does that mean? The following list provides additional details to help you identify situations in which to use estar: Location Su casa est en Ja avenida Juarez. = ler house is on Juarez Avenue. Elcine esta cerca del centro. - The cinema is near the center of town. Mood and Physical Condition El profesor est enojado. = The teacher is angry. Mi madre esta emocionada. = My mother is excited. Los estudiantes estan aburridos. - The students are bored. La senorita Martinez esta enferma. - Miss Martinez is sick.© temporary physical conditions. Los chicos estan enfermos. The children ave ill. Remember that temporary conditions are not characteristics. A temporary condition could indicate a shortlived state, as is the case with estan enfermos. The condition de: estar could also indicate the result of a previous action. vibed with La sesion esta cancelada. ‘The session is cancelled. + temporary mental conditions and moods. Yo no estoy loca! Lam not cay! Estas deprimidal You are depressed! + temporary traits or qualities. Estar emphasizes a short-term condition or a basis for a compari- son with a previous stale or condition, Hombre, estas delgado. Listen, you are (you look) thin Para su edad, estén muy maduros For their age, these kids are very mature. estos chicos. * a temporary situation with the preposition de. Luisa es ingeniera pero ahora esti de Luisa is an engineer bul nem shes a server camarera en un restaurante muy fino. at a fancy restaurant