Using the Spanish ‘Estar’ With Prepositions

The verb estar is frequently followed by a preposition in ways that are uncommon with the English equivalent to be. Here are some of the common combinations: Estar a Estar a doesnt have a consistent meaning, although it is used in a variety of contexts. It can often convey the idea of being at or in a situation. As in the first four examples, it is often used this way in the first-personal plural or we form. Està ¡mos a tres dà ­as del inicio de los juegos. (We are three days away from the games. Literally, we are at three days from the start of the games.)Estamos a 14 de febrero. (Today is Feb. 14. Literally, we are at Feb. 14.)Estamos a 30 grados. (It is 30 degrees. Literally, we are at 30 degrees.)Mi hermana està ¡ a oscuras. (My sister is ignorant of whats going on. Somewhat literally, my sister is in the dark.) Estar con In addition to indicating who someone is with, estar con can be used to indicate illnesses, what a person is wearing, and other characteristics: Tengo un amiga que està ¡ con la influenza porcina. (I have a friend who has swine flu.)Hay dà ­as que estoy con dolor constante. (There are days Im in constant pain.)Estaba con pantalones cortos y una playera blanca. (He was wearing short pants and a white T-shirt.)Cuando estamos con prisa, es fà ¡cil pasar por alto algunas prà ¡cticas de seguridad. (When were in a hurry, its easy to overlook some safety measures.)La carne estaba con mal olor. (The meat smelled bad.)Estamos con duda sobre estos medicamentos. (We are in doubt about these medications.) Estar de Temporary situations including roles, employment, and emotions are often expressed using estar de. Some examples: La red social mà ¡s popular està ¡ de cumpleaà ±os. (The most popular social network is having a birthday.)No te pongas serio. Estaba de broma. (Dont take it seriously. He was joking.)Estoy de acuerdo contigo. (I agree with you.)Mi hermano està ¡ de chofer. (My brother is working as a driver.)Estamos de vacaciones. (Were on vacation.) ¿Quà © tipos de vestidos està ¡n de moda? (What types of clothing are in style?)Los Smith està ¡n de aniversario. (Its the Smiths anniversary.)Los conductores està ¡n de huelga. (The drivers are on strike.)El jefe està ¡ de un humor muy feo. (The boss is in a very ugly mood.) Estar en Estar en is often used much like to be in. Està ¡ en buena condicià ³n la carretera. (The road is in good condition.)Las autoridades locales estaban en conflicto con los operadores de turismo. (The local authorities were in conflict with the tourism operators.)Esta pà ¡gina web està ¡ en construccià ³n. (This web page is under construction.) Estar por When followed by a noun, estar por typically means to be in favor of someone or something. Estoy por la inmigracià ³n legal. (I am for legal immigration.)No es verdad que todos està ©n por la democracia. (It isnt true that everyone is for democracy.) When estar por is followed by an infinitive, it can mean that the the infinitives action has yet to occur. Often, estar por followed by an infinitive suggests that the action will occur soon. Estoy por salir de viaje desde Buenos Aires a Asuncià ³n. (I am about to leave on a trip from Buenos Aires to Asuncià ³n.)Raquel estaba por comer cuando se dio cuenta de que todos la estaban mirando. (Raquel was about to eat when she noticed that everyone was looking at her.) ¡Estamos por comenzar nuevas aventuras! (Were on the verge of beginning new adventures!) Estar sin Estar sin is used much like estar con but with the opposite meaning. (Of course, it can also mean to be without): De momento estoy sin dolor. (At the moment Im not in pain.)Unas 8.000 personas estaban sin hogar en la ciudad. (There are some 8,000 homeless people in the city.)Estoy sin dinero y sin amigos. (I am penniless and friendless.) Estar sobre Although estar sobre is usually used literally to indicate being above a person or thing, it can also be used figuratively in a way similar to the English stay on top of, meaning to closely watch or supervise. En el trabajo no es necesario estar sobre los millennials. (On the job, it isnt necessary to keep a close eye on millennials.)Todo el tiempo estoy sobre mis hijos para que estudien. (Im always hounding my children so that they study.)