Level 1 — Foundation (CEFR: A1)
Unit 3 — Referring to Yourself and Others
Lesson 3 — ESTAR: Location and Temporary State
Lesson Overview
Level: 1 — Foundation Unit: 3 — Referring to Yourself and Others Lesson: 3 of 7 Estimated Time: 75–90 minutes for initial study, plus daily practice
What this lesson covers:
- The full present tense conjugation of estar
- All uses of estar: location, temporary state, ongoing action, condition, result
- Estar in ministry vocabulary: where people and things are, how people are doing, the present progressive
- The rapid response drill: ser or estar — no hesitation
- Ministry sentences using all six forms
- Preview: estar + gerund for the present progressive
What this lesson does NOT cover:
- The full ser vs. estar distinction and contrast drilling (Lesson 4)
- Past and future tenses of estar (Level 2 and above)
- The full present progressive system (Level 3)
Prerequisites: Lesson 2 must be complete and ser forms must be automatic. This lesson introduces the second to-be verb; Lesson 4 will demand that both are equally automatic so that the contrast can be drilled.
Why This Lesson Matters for Interpreters
If ser is the verb of declaration — who God is, who we are in Christ, what things essentially are — then estar is the verb of the living moment. It answers where people are right now, how they feel today, what is happening in the room, and how things stand at this point in time.
Ministry is intensely present-tense work. A pastor checking on a congregant asks ¿Cómo está usted? — not ¿Cómo es usted? A missionary arriving at a community site needs to know ¿Dónde están los líderes? — not ¿Dónde son los líderes? A prayer request concerns someone who is sick (está enferma), anxious (está ansioso), or in the hospital (está en el hospital). A worship moment describes what the Spirit is doing right now (el Espíritu Santo está obrando).
Every one of those sentences is estar, not ser — and every one of them would be wrong with ser.
The classic student error is to use ser for everything because it was learned first and feels like the “main” to-be verb. It is not the main one — both verbs are equally essential, and they are not interchangeable. The interpreter who defaults to ser when estar is required will produce sentences that are grammatically wrong, semantically different, and immediately noticeable to native speakers.
This lesson builds estar to the same level of automaticity that Lesson 2 built ser. When both are automatic, Lesson 4 can train the rapid alternation between them that real interpretation demands.
The Present Tense of Estar
Conjugation Table
| Pronoun | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | estoy | es-TOY |
| tú | estás | es-TAS |
| él / ella / usted | está | es-TA |
| nosotros | estamos | es-TA-mos |
| vosotros | estáis | — Spain only |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | están | es-TAN |
Note the accent marks: estás, está, están all carry written accent marks. These are not decorative — they signal that the stress falls on the final syllable (-TAS, -TA, -TAN), which distinguishes these forms from words that look similar. In oral production, make sure stress lands on the last syllable in all three forms.
The Speed Drill
Same target as ser: conjugate estar aloud in full present tense in under 10 seconds.
Latin American forms: estoy, estás, está, estamos, están
Then alternate with ser: soy/estoy, eres/estás, es/está, somos/estamos, son/están
This alternating drill is the foundation for Lesson 4’s rapid-choice work.
The Uses of Estar
1. Location of People and Objects
Estar expresses where a person, animal, or object is physically located.
Estoy en el auditorio. — I am in the auditorium. El pastor está en su oficina. — The pastor is in his office. Los misioneros están en el hotel. — The missionaries are at the hotel. ¿Dónde está la Biblia? — Where is the Bible? Estamos en México. — We are in Mexico. Los enfermos están en el hospital. — The sick are in the hospital.
The contrast with event ser: Recall from Lesson 2 that ser is used for where an event occurs: La conferencia es en el auditorio (the conference takes place in the auditorium). Estar is used for where a person or thing is: El conferenciante está en el auditorio (the speaker is in the auditorium — located there). Events have ser; people and objects have estar for location.
2. Temporary Physical and Emotional States
Estar expresses how someone feels or how something is at a particular moment — a condition that can change.
Physical states: Estoy cansado/a. — I am tired. Está enfermo/a. — He/She is sick. Estamos bien. — We are well / We are fine. Están heridos. — They are injured. El niño está dormido. — The child is asleep.
Emotional states: Estoy alegre. — I am happy (right now). Estás triste. — You are sad. Está ansioso/a. — He/She is anxious. Estamos agradecidos. — We are grateful. Están preocupados. — They are worried. Estoy listo/a. — I am ready.
Spiritual/emotional states in ministry: Está quebrantado/a. — He/She is broken-hearted. Estamos en oración. — We are in prayer. Está rendido/a a Dios. — He/She is surrendered to God. Estoy convencido/a. — I am convinced. El pastor está ungido esta noche. — The pastor is anointed tonight.
3. Present Progressive: Estar + Gerund
One of the most important constructions in spoken Spanish. Estar + gerund (-ando/-iendo) describes what is happening at this moment — the equivalent of English is/are + -ing.
Formation:
- -AR verbs → drop -ar, add -ando: hablar → hablando
- -ER/-IR verbs → drop -er/-ir, add -iendo: creer → creyendo, vivir → viviendo
Estoy hablando contigo. — I am talking with you. El Espíritu Santo está obrando. — The Holy Spirit is working. Dios está hablando a tu corazón. — God is speaking to your heart. Estamos orando por ti. — We are praying for you. El pastor está predicando. — The pastor is preaching. ¿Qué está pasando? — What is happening? Cristo está intercediendo por nosotros. — Christ is interceding for us.
For interpreters: The present progressive is extremely common in live ministry speech — in testimonies, in prayer, in preaching that describes present action. The gerund forms of core ministry verbs must be automatic:
predicar → predicando (preaching) orar → orando (praying) adorar → adorando (worshiping) alabar → alabando (praising) obrar → obrando (working/acting) hablar → hablando (speaking) sanar → sanando (healing) mover → moviendo (moving) transformar → transformando (transforming)
4. Result of an Action (Resultant State)
Estar + past participle describes the result or condition that exists because of a completed action.
La puerta está abierta. — The door is open. (result of having been opened) El libro está cerrado. — The book is closed. La oración está respondida. — The prayer is answered. Los pecados están perdonados. — The sins are forgiven (as a present state). Está escrito. — It is written. (A critically important biblical phrase — Jesus’s response in the temptation: Escrito está…)
Está escrito: This phrase appears constantly in preaching — preachers cite scripture with está escrito (it is written) before the quotation. It must be completely automatic. Está escrito que… — It is written that…
5. The Greeting: ¿Cómo Está?
The most basic pastoral check-in uses estar:
¿Cómo está usted? — How are you? (respectful) ¿Cómo estás? — How are you? (informal) ¿Cómo están? — How are all of you? Bien, gracias a Dios. — Well, thank God. Estoy bien. — I am well. Más o menos. — So-so / More or less. Estoy pasando por un tiempo difícil. — I am going through a difficult time.
Why this is estar and not ser: Because ¿Cómo estás? asks about the present, changeable state of the person — how they are doing right now. ¿Cómo eres? would ask about their permanent character and personality — a very different question.
Ministry Sentences: All Six Forms
Estoy (yo): Estoy aquí para servirles. — I am here to serve you. Estoy orando por usted. — I am praying for you. Estoy muy agradecido/a con Dios. — I am very grateful to God. Estoy listo/a para comenzar. — I am ready to begin.
Estás (tú): ¿Estás bien? — Are you okay? Estás en el corazón de Dios. — You are in God’s heart. ¿Dónde estás en tu caminar con Cristo? — Where are you in your walk with Christ?
Está (él / ella / usted): El pastor está predicando. — The pastor is preaching. ¿Dónde está el baño? — Where is the bathroom? Está escrito que Dios es fiel. — It is written that God is faithful. Usted está en mis oraciones. — You are in my prayers. El Espíritu Santo está aquí. — The Holy Spirit is here.
Estamos (nosotros): Estamos en México para servir. — We are in Mexico to serve. Estamos orando por esta comunidad. — We are praying for this community. Estamos de acuerdo. — We are in agreement. Estamos muy contentos de estar aquí. — We are very glad to be here.
Están (ellos / ustedes): ¿Están todos aquí? — Is everyone here? Los enfermos están en el hospital. — The sick are in the hospital. Ustedes están en nuestras oraciones. — You are in our prayers. ¿Cómo están todos? — How is everyone?
The Rapid Response Drill: Ser or Estar?
This is the core drill from the curriculum — the immediate precursor to Lesson 4. A partner gives an English sentence using to be. You respond instantly in Spanish using ser or estar — no hesitation.
The goal at this stage is not perfection but reflexive response. Lesson 4 will refine the understanding; this drill begins to build the reflex.
I am tired. → Estoy cansado/a. (temporary state — estar) She is a doctor. → Ella es doctora. (role — ser) We are in Mexico. → Estamos en México. (location — estar) God is eternal. → Dios es eterno. (essential characteristic — ser) The pastor is preaching. → El pastor está predicando. (present progressive — estar) You are the light of the world. → Ustedes son la luz del mundo. (identity declaration — ser) I am ready. → Estoy listo/a. (temporary state — estar) We are saved. → Somos salvos. (identity/theological declaration — ser) The Bible is on the table. → La Biblia está en la mesa. (object location — estar) Jesus is Lord. → Jesús es Señor. (identity — ser) He is sick. → Está enfermo. (temporary physical state — estar) It is written. → Está escrito. (resultant state — estar)
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1 — Conjugation Speed Drill
Five Latin American forms of estar: estoy, estás, está, estamos, están
Target: under 10 seconds Day 1 → under 5 seconds Day 7 → under 3 seconds Day 14.
Then combine with ser in alternating pairs: soy / estoy — eres / estás — es / está — somos / estamos — son / están
Exercise 2 — Use Identification
Identify which use of estar each sentence represents (location, temporary physical state, temporary emotional state, present progressive, resultant state, greeting/condition).
- El misionero está en la comunidad. → location
- Estoy cansado después del viaje. → temporary physical state
- Estamos orando por los enfermos. → present progressive
- Está escrito en la Palabra. → resultant state
- ¿Cómo está usted? → greeting / condition
- Están preocupados por sus familias. → temporary emotional state
- El Espíritu Santo está obrando aquí. → present progressive
- Los libros están en el salón. → location
Exercise 3 — Gerund Production
Produce the gerund form for each ministry verb. Then say it in a sentence with estar:
- orar → orando → Estamos orando.
- predicar → predicando → El pastor está predicando.
- adorar → adorando → La congregación está adorando.
- sanar → sanando → Dios está sanando.
- obrar → obrando → El Espíritu está obrando.
- crecer → creciendo → La iglesia está creciendo.
- servir → sirviendo → Estamos sirviendo a la comunidad.
- transformar → transformando → Dios está transformando vidas.
Exercise 4 — Ministry Context Fill-In
Complete each sentence with the correct form of estar. Say the complete sentence aloud.
- ¿Cómo ___ usted hoy? → está
- Los enfermos ___ en el hospital. → están
- El pastor ___ predicando con poder esta noche. → está
- Nosotros ___ muy agradecidos por su hospitalidad. → estamos
- Yo ___ listo para comenzar la interpretación. → estoy
- ¿Dónde ___ la Biblia del pastor? → está
- La puerta del cielo ___ abierta para todos. → está
- Ustedes ___ en el lugar correcto esta noche. → están
- Tú ___ en el corazón de Dios. → estás
- Cristo ___ intercediendo por nosotros ahora mismo. → está
Exercise 5 — The Rapid Response Drill (Full Set)
Do the full rapid response drill from the curriculum section above. Have a partner read the English sentences in random order. You produce the Spanish — correct verb and correct form — in under 3 seconds per sentence.
Evaluate: Which ones caused hesitation? Those are your Lesson 4 priority items.
Interpreter-Specific Application
Scenario: Prayer Request Interpretation
A church member approaches the missionary pastor before the service. You interpret both sides:
Member: “Pastor, ¿podría orar por mi esposo? Está en el hospital. Está muy grave. Los médicos dicen que está muy enfermo del corazón.”
Your interpretation: “Pastor, could you pray for my husband? He is in the hospital. He is very serious. The doctors say he is very sick with his heart.”
Pastor: “Of course. Tell me his name. Is he a believer?”
Your interpretation: “Por supuesto. Dígame su nombre. ¿Es él creyente?”
Key observation: The member’s description of her husband uses estar throughout (hospital location, temporary serious condition, current illness). The pastor’s question about belief uses ser (identity/definition). Both verbs appear in a single exchange and the interpreter must switch between them naturally.
Scenario: Worship Service — Describing What Is Happening
The worship leader is speaking during a moment of congregational prayer and you are interpreting for the missionary team:
“El Espíritu Santo está aquí. Él está moviéndose entre nosotros ahora mismo. Estamos en su presencia. Si estás necesitado esta noche — si estás quebrantado — Él está aquí para sanar.”
Your interpretation: “The Holy Spirit is here. He is moving among us right now. We are in his presence. If you are in need tonight — if you are broken — He is here to heal.”
All estar — every statement describes present location, present action, or present condition. The interpreter must produce eight estar forms in a short passage without hesitation, freeing all other cognitive resources for the spiritual vocabulary.
Key Takeaways for This Lesson
Before moving to Lesson 4, you should be able to:
- Produce all five Latin American forms of estar in under 10 seconds, working toward under 5 seconds
- Identify all uses of estar: location, temporary physical state, temporary emotional state, present progressive, resultant state
- Produce gerunds of core ministry verbs and use them in estar + gerund constructions
- Begin the rapid response drill — choosing ser or estar in under 3 seconds per sentence
- Use ¿Cómo está? and its response forms naturally in ministry conversation
Daily Practice
5-minute daily estar drill:
- Conjugation run — estoy, estás, está, estamos, están — three times. (1 minute)
- Five estar sentences covering different uses (location, state, progressive). (2 minutes)
- Alternating ser / estar pairs — say both forms for each pronoun. (2 minutes)
When you check in with someone today — ¿Cómo está? — do it in Spanish. When you are describing where you are or what you are doing to a fellow student, do it in Spanish. Every real-life context where estar would appear is a practice opportunity.