Verb · irregular
estar
to be, for state and location
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.
Present
What happens, and what is happening now.
| yo | estoy | |
| tú | estás | |
| él, ella, usted | está | |
| nosotros | estamos | |
| ellos, ustedes | están | |
| vosotros, Spain only | estáis |
Preterite, the finished past
Something that happened and is over: yesterday, last year, once.
| yo | estuve | |
| tú | estuviste | |
| él, ella, usted | estuvo | |
| nosotros | estuvimos | |
| ellos, ustedes | estuvieron | |
| vosotros, Spain only | estuvisteis |
Imperfect, the background past
What used to happen, or was going on when something else happened.
| yo | estaba | |
| tú | estabas | |
| él, ella, usted | estaba | |
| nosotros | estábamos | |
| ellos, ustedes | estaban | |
| vosotros, Spain only | estabais |
Future
Will do. In conversation, ir a plus the verb is more common: voy a comer.
| yo | estaré | |
| tú | estarás | |
| él, ella, usted | estará | |
| nosotros | estaremos | |
| ellos, ustedes | estarán | |
| vosotros, Spain only | estaréis |
Present perfect
Have done. Used far more in Spain, where it covers today; most of Latin America uses the preterite there.
| yo | he estado | |
| tú | has estado | |
| él, ella, usted | ha estado | |
| nosotros | hemos estado | |
| ellos, ustedes | han estado | |
| vosotros, Spain only | habéis estado |
Other forms
The -ing form, the form that follows he, has and ha, and how to tell someone to do it.
| -ing form | estando | |
| participle | estado | |
| command, to tú | está | |
| command, to usted | esté |
In a sentence
el banco está en la plaza
the bank is in the square
estoy cansado
I am tired