estar + Participle
Estar with Participle
Describes the state of something after an action has been completed, like 'the door is closed'.
How It Works
The structure estar + past participle is used to describe the state or condition of a subject that results from a prior action. It focuses on the outcome, not the action itself.
Formation:
Subject + conjugated estar + past participle
Key Feature: Adjective Agreement
The most important rule is that the past participle functions as an adjective. This means it must agree in gender and number with the subject it modifies.
- Masculine Singular: El vaso está roto. (The glass is broken.)
- Feminine Singular: La ventana está rota. (The window is broken.)
- Masculine Plural: Los vasos están rotos. (The glasses are broken.)
- Feminine Plural: Las ventanas están rotas. (The windows are broken.)
This follows the same logic as general adjective agreement.
Distinction from Passive Voice (ser + participle)
This is a crucial concept.
- Estar + Participle (Resultant State): Describes the current condition. La puerta está cerrada. (The door is closed. - This is its current state.)
- Ser + Participle (Passive Voice): Describes the action being performed on the subject. La puerta es cerrada a las 10. (The door is closed at 10. - This describes the action of closing.)
In short, estar focuses on the 'after', while ser focuses on the 'during'.
Examples (5)
- La puerta está cerrada.
The door is closed.
Word by Word: The door is closed.
The participle 'cerrada' is feminine singular to agree with 'la puerta'.
- Las luces están apagadas.
The lights are turned off.
Word by Word: The lights are off.
'Apagadas' is feminine plural to agree with 'las luces'.
- El libro está escrito en español.
The book is written in Spanish.
Word by Word: The book is written in Spanish.
'Escrito' is an irregular participle. It is masculine singular to agree with 'el libro'.
- Estoy muy cansado porque trabajé mucho.
I am very tired because I worked a lot.
Word by Word: I am very tired because I worked a lot.
The participle 'cansado' (from 'cansar') describes the state of the speaker (masculine 'yo').
- Las ventanas del coche están rotas.
The car's windows are broken.
Word by Word: The windows of the car are broken.
'Rotas' is the feminine plural form of the irregular participle 'roto' to agree with 'las ventanas'.
Common Mistakes
Using 'ser' instead of 'estar' to describe a resultant state.
La tienda es cerrada los domingos.La tienda está cerrada los domingos.To describe the state of the store being closed, use 'estar'. 'Ser cerrada' would imply the action of being closed (passive voice), which sounds unnatural here. You are describing its condition on Sundays.
Forgetting to make the participle agree in gender and number with the subject.
Las mesas están puesto.Las mesas están puestas.The participle must act like an adjective. Since 'las mesas' is feminine and plural, the participle must be 'puestas', not the default masculine singular 'puesto'.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- ser + ParticiplePassive Voice with Ser
This is the most important contrast. 'Ser + participle' forms the passive voice and describes an action, while 'estar + participle' describes the resulting state after an action.
Level 4 - estar + AdjectiveEstar for Conditions
'Estar + participle' is a specific type of this structure. Both describe temporary states or conditions, but here the 'adjective' is specifically a participle derived from a verb.
Level 1 - -ado/-idoPast Participle Formation
This pattern explains how to form the regular past participles that are a necessary component of the 'estar + participle' structure.
Level 3 - hecho/dicho/escrito/visto/puesto/abierto/muerto/roto/vuelto/cubiertoIrregular Past Participles
Many common verbs have irregular participles (like 'abrir' -> 'abierto'). Knowing these is essential for using this structure correctly.
Level 3 - Adjective Agreement
The participle in 'estar + participle' functions as an adjective and must follow the standard rules of gender and number agreement with the noun it modifies.
Foundations - ser / estarSer vs. Estar Basics
This provides the fundamental reason for using 'estar' here. This structure is an application of 'estar' for describing conditions and states.
Level 1
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Practice estar + Participle in Bubblegum
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