22.2Estar
Estar is used:(a) With adverbs of place (unless the adverb says where an event is to take place, when
ser is used – see 22.1):
Mi madre está en el salón.
My mother is in the living-room.
Aquí está correos/el correo.
Here is the post office.
^39 (p. 230)
(b) With past participles to indicate a state of affairs consequential on an action or
event:
La ventana está abierta.
The window is open. (it has been opened)
El libro está dividido en cinco capítulos.
The book is divided into five chapters. (the author divided it into five
chapters)
La delincuencia está ligada al problema del desempleo.
Crime is linked to the problem of unemployment. (someone has linked
crime to the problem)
With verbs which denote actions, estar+ past participle signifies a state which is the
result of the action, and is never equivalent to the corresponding active sentence: thus
la ventana está abierta means ‘the window is open’ (state) while (alguien) abre la
ventana means ‘someone opens the window’ (action). However, with verbs which
denote states in which the subject is necessarily involved, estar+ past participle may be
equivalent to the corresponding active sentence: thus la comisión estaba encabezada
por el ministro‘the commission was headed by the minister’ (state) is equivalent to
el ministro encabezaba la comisión‘the minister headed the commission’ (also a
state). Contrast also the following:
La habitación estaba señalada por una cifra azul.
The room was indicated by a blue number.
= Una cifra azul señalaba la habitación.
‘A blue number indicated the room’ (state).
but
La habitación nos fue señalada por la limpiadora.
The room was pointed out to us by the cleaner.
= La limpiadora nos señaló la habitación.
‘The cleaner pointed out the room to us’ (action). 36.9 (p. 217)
(c) With past participles of reflexive verbs to denote the result of an action or event:
Estamos asombrados (asombrarse) por su audacia.
We are amazed by his/her audacity.Estar 22.2