irregular
estar
to be, for state and location
Present
| Person | Form | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| yo | estoy | |
| tú | estás | |
| él, ella, usted | está | |
| nosotros | estamos | |
| ellos, ustedes | están | |
| vosotros, Spain only | estáis |
Past, the preterite
The tense for a finished action at a definite time. It is the past you need first.
| Person | Form | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| yo | estuve | |
| tú | estuviste | |
| él, ella, usted | estuvo | |
| nosotros | estuvimos | |
| ellos, ustedes | estuvieron |
The thing that catches people out
ser says what something is, estar says where it is or how it is doing. Permanent against temporary is the rule usually taught and it breaks on the first building you describe.
In a sentence
el banco está en la plazathe bank is in the square
estoy cansadoI am tired