estar

From Latin stāre (“stand”), present active infinitive of stō (“stand”).

estar

1. to be

From Old Occitan estar, from Latin stāre (“stand”), present active infinitive of stō (“stand”)

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /əsˈta/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /esˈtaɾ/
• Rhymes: -a(ɾ)

estar (first-person singular present estic, past participle estat)

1. (transitive, copulative) to be; to currently be in a state or have a characteristic (Used to connect a noun to an adjective that describes a temporary state of being.)

   Estic cansada. ― I am tired.

2. (auxiliary) Used to form the continuous aspect, together with a present participle.

   Ja està dormint. ― He is already sleeping.

3. (intransitive, +adverbial phrase) To be located (to be in a place)

   La Torre Eiffel està a París. ― The Eiffel Tower is in Paris.

This is one of two verbs that can be translated as to be, the other being ser/ésser. Ser/ésser indicates something that is inherent and not expected to change, whereas estar describes temporary qualities that apply only at a particular time. Ser/ésser relates to estar as essence relates to state, etymologically as well as semantically.

• benestar
• estada
• malestar

• estadant
• estar-se
• estaria

• “estar” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “estar” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “estar” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “estar” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

From Old Portuguese estar, from Latin stāre (“stand”), present active infinitive of stō (“stand”)

estar (first-person singular present estou, first-person singular preterite estiven, past participle estado)

1. to be

Like Portuguese and Spanish, Galician has two different verbs that are usually translated to English as “to be”. The verb ser relates to essence, origin, or physical description. In contrast, the verb estar relates to current state or position.

• ser

From Latin stāre (“stand”), present active infinitive of stō (“stand”).

estar (Latin spelling)

1. to be, be present

• IPA^(key): /ˈestar/

·estar

1. third-person singular present subjunctive conjunct of ithid

• tá (Brazilian, nonstandard)
• tar (Portugal, nonstandard)

From Old Portuguese estar, from Latin stāre (“stand”), present active infinitive of stō (“stand”), from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂-.

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /iʃ.ˈtaɾ/, /ɨʃ.ˈtaɾ/, /ˈʃtaɾ/
• (Portugal, nonstandard) IPA^(key): /ˈtaɾ/
• (Paulista) IPA^(key): /is.ˈta(ɾ)/, /is.ˈta(ɹ)/
• (Carioca) IPA^(key): /iʃ.ˈta(χ)/
• (Brazil, nonstandard) IPA^(key): /ˈta/
• (Brazil) Homophone: está

estar (first-person singular present indicative estou, past participle estado)

1. (transitive with em or another locational preposition) to be (indicates location in space)

   Onde estás? ― Where are you?

   Estou em casa. ― I am at home.

2. (copulative) to be (denotes a transient quality; a quality expected to change)

   O tempo estava frio. ― The weather was cold (at that moment).

   Estás louco? ― Are you crazy (right now)?

   A maçã está madura. ― The apple is ripe.

3. (auxiliary with a and a verb in the infinitive (Portugal) or with the gerund (Brazil)) to be (forms the progressive aspect)

   Ela está cantando? / Ela está a cantar? ― Is she singing?

   Estavam trabalhando muito. ― They were working a lot.

   Estávamos a ler muito. ― We had been reading a lot.

   Estaremos a ler livros. ― We will be reading books.

4. (transitive) to cost (to be worth a certain amount of money), especially of something whose price changes often.

   Synonym: custar

   O quilo de maçã está a dois euros.

   A kilogram of apples costs two euros.

• See ser.

For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:estar.

• ser
• ter
• haver

From Latin stāre (“stand”), present active infinitive of stō (“stand”), from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (compare English stand). Cognate with English state, French être, Greek στέω (stéo), Italian stare, Portuguese estar, and Romanian sta.

• IPA^(key): /esˈtaɾ/, [esˈt̪aɾ]
• (Latin American) IPA^(key): /esˈtaɾ/, [esˈtaɾ], [ehˈtaɾ]

• Audio (US)

  (file)

estar (first-person singular present estoy, first-person singular preterite estuve, past participle estado)

1. to be (have a (transient) location in space). Compare ser, quedar.

   ¿Dónde estás? ― Where are you?

   Estoy en casa. ― I am at home.

2. to be (Denotes a copula, in a transient fashion). Compare ser.

   El tiempo estaba frío. ― The weather was cold [back then].

   ¿Estás feliz? ― Are you happy [right now]?

3. to be (Auxiliary verb for the progressive/continuous aspect) (precedes the gerund of the verb)

   Ella está cantando. ― She is singing.

4. to be (in the passive voice sense)

   Los vasos están rotos.

   The vases are broken. (In passive voice with estar, unlike haber, its past participle agrees with number and gender of the subject)

5. (reflexive) To be, feel (Denotes a copula, in a transient fashion)

• See ser.

• estar por + infinitive: “to be to be done”, “to be (still) undone”:

  Esto todavía está por hacer.

  This is still to be done.

• → Hiligaynon: istar

• ser