Like Ser, Estar also is translated into English as "to Be". And it is also irregular in form (it doesn't follow regular conjugation patterns):
Yo |
Tú |
Él, ella, usted |
Nosotros |
Ellos, ellas, ustedes |
| estoy | estás | está | estamos | están |
The difference is that Estar is used to indicate a "state" of being:
- location of things or people (but not events!)
- emotions (moods & feelings)
- physical or mental conditions
- appearance ("You look nice today!")
Examples:
| Newark está en California. | Newark is in California. |
| Estoy en la clase de matemáticas. | I'm in math class. |
| Estoy enojada. | I am angry. |
| Estoy contenta. | I am (feel) happy. |
| Estoy cansada. | I am (feel) tired. |
| Estamos bien. | We are (feel) fine. |
| María está bonita. | María looks pretty. |
Students often ask me why Estar is used when saying someone is dead: "Mi perro Fido está muerto." This is because it is a physical condition. Just like being sick or well, tired or energized, your body can be dead or alive.
You may have heard that Ser is used for things which are permanent and Estar is used for things which are temporary. This is an over-simplification and not a good way to think of these verbs because you will end up with a lot of exceptions and confusion. Try to forget you ever heard that.
Remember instead the above designations Estar covering States of Being: Conditions, Location, and the Present Progressive and that Ser is used when expressing elements of Identity.