Spanish: An Essential Grammar

Estar + adjective

Estar+ an adjective frequently denotes an accidental or temporary state. It

is ‘to be’ by condition:

Ana está pálida. Ana is pale (has turned pale).

Estas peras están agrias. These pears are sour (because

they are unripe).

Mi hermano está alegre. My brother is happy (in a

happy state of mind).

It is important to realize that this construction indicates a condition that

is not only susceptible or likely to change, but also the result of a change:

Está vivo. He is alive. Está muerto. He is dead.

Está calvo. He is bald.

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Serand estar

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The use of ser and estar with adjectives

1 As a guide, if in doubt it is helpful to test for seror estar. If it is

possible to insert into an English sentence, the phrase ‘in a...

state/condition’, this would indicate that estar is the correct

choice. Likewise, if it is possible to insert the words ‘person’,

‘type’, ‘variety’ or ‘sort’, as appropriate, this could indicate that

ser is the correct verb. For example, if ‘The lady is elegant’

means that she is ‘an elegant person’, use ser. If it means that she

is ‘in an elegant state’, use estar.

2 Similarly, it is also possible on occasions to substitute the

English verb ‘to be’ with ‘to seem’, ‘to feel’, ‘to become’ or ‘to

look’. This would also suggest that estaris the appropriate

choice, e.g. Estuve orgulloso al recibir el premio‘I was proud on

receiving the prize’, i.e. ‘I felt proud’, ¡Qué alta está la niña!

‘How tall the girl is!’ i.e. ‘How tall she has become’ or ‘looks’.

3 In other cases the combination of a noun + adjective necessarily

demands one or other of the two verbs, because the sentence

states either an inherent characteristic or a state:

Inherent characteristics States

La puerta es roja. La puerta está sucia.

The door is red. The door is dirty.