Guide
Ser vs. Estar for Location
The short answer: use estar to say where something is. Madrid está en España. There's one exception worth learning. Events use ser. La fiesta es en mi casa.
Estar Tells You Where
Spanish has two verbs for "to be". Ser tells you what something is. Estar tells you where it is, and how it is right now. When a sentence answers the question where?, the verb is almost always estar.
- Estoy en casa. I'm at home.
- La farmacia está en la plaza. The pharmacy is in the square.
- Sevilla está en el sur de España. Seville is in the south of Spain.
- ¿Dónde están mis gafas? Where are my glasses?
Notice that Sevilla isn't going anywhere. Location uses estar even when it's permanent. That's the trap for learners who think estar only means "temporary".
The DOCTOR and PLACE Acronyms
Many teachers use two acronyms to sort ser from estar. They're a good place to start. DOCTOR covers the uses of ser:
| DOCTOR (ser) | Example |
|---|---|
| Description | Ana es alta. Ana is tall. |
| Occupation | Carlos es médico. Carlos is a doctor. |
| Characteristic | Mi jefe es simpático. My boss is friendly. |
| Time | Son las tres. It's three o'clock. |
| Origin | Soy de Sevilla. I'm from Seville. |
| Relationship | Lucía es mi hermana. Lucía is my sister. |
PLACE covers the uses of estar. The L is the one this guide is about:
| PLACE (estar) | Example |
|---|---|
| Position | Miguel está sentado. Miguel is sitting down. |
| Location | El bar está en la esquina. The bar is on the corner. |
| Action | Estoy comiendo. I'm eating. |
| Condition | La sopa está fría. The soup is cold. |
| Emotion | María está contenta. María is happy. |
Watch out for origin and location. They look alike in English but take different verbs. Soy de Madrid means "I'm from Madrid". Estoy en Madrid means "I'm in Madrid right now".
The Exception: Events Use Ser
Here's where PLACE lets you down. When the subject is an event, like a party, a concert, a class or a match, Spanish uses ser to say where it happens. Think of ser here as "takes place". Spanish even has a phrase for it: tener lugar.
| Event: ser | Person or thing: estar |
|---|---|
| La fiesta es en casa de Miguel. | Miguel está en casa. |
| El concierto es en el estadio. | Los músicos están en el estadio. |
| ¿Dónde es la clase? | ¿Dónde está el profesor? |
A quick test: if you can say "takes place" in English, use ser. "The party takes place at Miguel's" works. "Miguel takes place at home" doesn't.
Estar with Prepositions of Place
Most location sentences pair estar with a preposition. The simplest is en, which covers English "in", "at" and "on" all at once. These are the others you'll use every day:
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| al lado de | next to | El banco está al lado del café. |
| cerca de | near | Estamos cerca de la playa. |
| debajo de | under | El gato está debajo de la cama. |
| delante de | in front of | Te espero delante del cine. |
| detrás de | behind | El parque está detrás del hospital. |
| encima de | on top of | Las llaves están encima de la mesa. |
| enfrente de | opposite | La farmacia está enfrente del metro. |
| entre | between | Toledo está entre Madrid y Ciudad Real. |
| lejos de | far from | Mi piso está lejos del centro. |
Notice del. When de meets el, they join into one word: al lado del café, not al lado de el café. The lesson Prepositions of Place practises all of these.
Estar Conjugation and Accents
| Pronoun | Estar | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yo | estoy | Estoy en el trabajo. |
| tú | estás | ¿Dónde estás? |
| él / ella / usted | está | ¿Dónde está el baño? |
| nosotros / nosotras | estamos | Estamos en el bar. |
| vosotros / vosotras | estáis | ¿Estáis en la plaza? |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | están | Están en Galicia. |
Four forms carry an accent: estás, está, estáis and están. Don't drop it. Esta without an accent is a different word, meaning "this". Esta casa is "this house".
Practice: Ser or Estar?
Fill each gap, then tap the sentence to check your answer.
El museo ___ en el centro.
está. A building is a place, so it takes estar.
La reunión ___ en la sala tres.
es. A meeting is an event, so it takes ser.
Mis padres ___ en Valencia.
están. People are located somewhere, so it takes estar.
La boda ___ en una iglesia de Toledo.
es. A wedding is an event, so it takes ser.
¿Dónde ___ (tú)?
estás. You are asking where a person is, so it takes estar.
Yo ___ de Bilbao.
soy. This is origin, not location, so it takes ser.
El partido ___ en el estadio.
es. A match is an event, so it takes ser.
Las llaves ___ encima de la mesa.
están. Things are located somewhere, so it takes estar.
Want the full lesson, with a dialogue and a translation exercise? Try Estar and Places. If you haven't met ser yet, start with Personal Pronouns and Ser.
Frequently asked questions
Do you use ser or estar for location?
Use estar to say where a person, place or thing is: Madrid está en España, estoy en casa. The one exception is events. To say where an event takes place, use ser: la fiesta es en mi casa.
What does PLACE stand for with estar?
PLACE stands for Position, Location, Action, Condition and Emotion. These are the five main uses of estar.
What does DOCTOR stand for with ser?
DOCTOR stands for Description, Occupation, Characteristic, Time, Origin and Relationship. These are the six main uses of ser.
Is "¿dónde es?" ever correct?
Yes, when you ask about an event. ¿Dónde es la fiesta? asks where the party is being held. For a place or a thing, ask ¿dónde está?: ¿dónde está el museo?
What is the difference between "dónde está" and "dónde estás"?
¿Dónde estás? means "where are you?" when you talk to a friend (tú). ¿Dónde está? means "where is he, she or it?", or "where are you?" when you speak formally (usted).
Which forms of estar have an accent?
Four of the six present-tense forms have an accent: estás, está, estáis and están. Estoy and estamos don't. The accent shows that the stress falls on the last syllable.