CONTENT
  1. Reviewing Verb Estar
  2. How to Use the Verb Estar to Express Location?

The verb estar is used to express the position of something, but with prepositions of place, it is used to express location.

Spanish

English

La cafetería está enfrente del museo.

The cafeteria is in front of the museum.

Reviewing Verb Estar

Rule 1. The verb estar is one of the main verbs to pick up when starting to learn Spanish. Its conjugation is as follows:

Subject PronounsEstar
yo estoy
estás
él, ella, está está
nosotros, nosotras estamos
vosotros, vosotras estáis
ellos, ellas, ustedes están
Subject PronounsEstar
yo estoy
estás
él, ella, está está
nosotros, nosotras estamos
vosotros, vosotras estáis
ellos, ellas, ustedes están

Rule 2. Among other multiple uses, the verb estar is used to express position.

Spanish

English

Estoy en el salón.

I am in the classroom.

For this reason, it makes sense to use it with prepositions of place to locate something or someone in a certain space.

How to Use the Verb Estar to Express Location?

Rule 3. When accompanied by prepositions of place, the verb estar will help you say where something or someone is. This function is very useful, especially when giving directions, meeting someone, or giving instructions.

Spanish

English

- ¿Dónde estás? No te veo.

- Estoy a un lado de la cancha de baloncesto.

- Where are you? I don't see you.
- I'm at the side of the basketball court.

Prepositions of Place

Rule 4. The most common prepositions of place in Spanish are the following:

enfrente de in front of
detrás de behind of
a un lado de next to
debajo de under
entre between
cerca de near
lejos de far from
a la izquierda de to the right of
a la derecha de to the left of
dentro de inside
fuera de outside of
enfrente de in front of
detrás de behind of
a un lado de next to
debajo de under
entre between
cerca de near
lejos de far from
a la izquierda de to the right of
a la derecha de to the left of
dentro de inside
fuera de outside of

Rule 5. Telling the location of something in Spanish is quite simple: you only have to conjugate the verb estar, add the preposition of place, the preposition de, and the place itself:

Estar conjugatedPreposition of placeDePlace
Estamos enfrente de la cafetería.
We are in front of the coffee shop.
Estar conjugatedPreposition of placeDePlace
Estamos enfrente de la cafetería.
We are in front of the coffee shop.

Rule 6. To create the negative form, just add a no before the verb estar:

NoEstar conjugatedPreposition of placeDePlace
No estamos enfrente de la cafetería.
NoEstar conjugatedPreposition of placeDePlace
No estamos enfrente de la cafetería.

Remember about The Definite Article

Rule 7. When telling the location with this construction, the place is always accompanied by a definite article (el, la, los, las).

Spanish

English

¿Están dentro de la pizzería?

Are you inside the pizzeria?

Está a la izquiera de la universidad.

It is to the left of the university.

The Preposition De - Contraction

Rule 8. Another key element in this construction is the preposition de. Please note that since the place must be accompanied by a definite article, the contraction del (de+el) will appear when you use a masculine singular definite article.

Spanish

English

Estoy dentro del museo.

I am inside the museum.

Quiz

1/4

Nosotros _________ a fuera del salón. ¿Y ustedes?

0

correct answers.