Once you have the Spanish alphabet and other fundamentals down, you may be eager to start speaking in full sentences. Knowing how to say “are” in Spanish is a perfect place to begin building simple sentences, like Eres alto (You are tall) and Estamos listos (We are ready).
There are several different ways to say “are” in Spanish, so memorization alone won’t be enough to make the correct choice in natural conversation. When native Spanish speakers use “are,” they don’t have to think about which verb to conjugate: ser, estar, tener or haber. Through authentic language immersion, you can develop your intuition and use these verbs as confidently as a native speaker!
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Ser for ‘are’
The most common way to say “are” is by conjugating ser in Spanish in the present tense. Use ser (to be) for “are” to talk about permanent attributes, such as personality traits, occupations, and physical characteristics.
Which form of ser you choose for “are” depends on formality and whether you’re speaking to one person or a group, as shown by the chart below. You can find the additional conjugations of ser, which translate to “am” or “is,” in a comprehensive online Spanish dictionary.
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation of Ser | English |
| tú | eres | you are (informal, singular) |
| usted | es | you are (formal, singular) |
| nosotros, nosotras | somos | we are |
| vosotros, vosotras | sois | you all are (informal, Spain) |
| ellos, ellas | son | they are |
| ustedes | son | you all are (formal) |
The following examples show how ser is used in the nosotros and ellos forms to say “we are” and “they are” respectively. For example:
- Nosotras somos enfermeras. = We are nurses.
- Timoteo y yo somos mejores amigos. = Timoteo and I are best friends.
- Son estudiantes. = They are students.
- Mis hermanos son bajos. = My siblings are short.
Below are some examples of how to use ser to express “you are” in Spanish depending on how many people you’re addressing and whether you’re talking to them formally or informally.
- Eres el mejor, Juan. = You’re the best, Juan
- Señor, ¿Usted es doctor? = Sir, are you a doctor?
- ¿De dónde sois? = Where are you all from?
- ¿Ustedes son los padres de Carmen? = Are you Carmen’s parents?
Estar for ‘are’
“Are” is also expressed by conjugating the verb estar. Ser and estar in Spanish both mean “to be” in Spanish, but cannot be used interchangeably to express “you are.” Use forms of estar to indicate a temporary physical or mental state or a location.
Here’s a chart showing estar conjugations to say “are”:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation of Estar | English |
| tú | estás | you are (informal, singular) |
| usted | está | you are (formal, singular) |
| nosotros, nosotras | estamos | we are |
| vosotros, vosotras | estáis | you all are (informal, Spain) |
| ellos, ellas | están | they are |
| ustedes | están | you all are (formal) |
Use these forms of estar to talk or ask about someone’s feelings, to describe actions happening in the moment, and more. For example:
- ¿Cómo están tus padres? = How are your parents doing?
- Los niños están corriendo en el parque. = The kids are running in the park.
- No estás preparado para el examen. = You aren’t ready for the exam.
- ¿Dónde está usted? = Where are you?
Tener for ‘are’
Although the main translation of tener is “to have,” this common Spanish verb can also be used to express “are” in Spanish. Use tener instead of ser or estar to talk about someone’s age and in certain tener expressions like tener suerte (to be lucky) and tener cuidado (to be careful).
Unlike regular verbs in Spanish, tener does not follow a predictable conjugation pattern. It’s a stem-changing verb that requires an e to ie stem change in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Here are the different ways to say “are” in Spanish using the verb tener:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation of Estar | English |
| tú | tienes | you are (informal, singular) |
| usted | tiene | you are (formal, singular) |
| nosotros, nosotras | tenemos | we are |
| vosotros, vosotras | tenéis | you all are (informal, Spain) |
| ellos, ellas | tienen | they are |
| ustedes | tienen | you all are (formal) |
The following examples demonstrate how tener is used for “are” in context:
- Tienes 20 años, ¿verdad? = You are 20 years old, right?
- ¿Tienen hambre? = Are you hungry?
Haber for ‘are’
Haber, when used to express existence, is conjugated in only one form: hay. Hay means “there are” when used with plural Spanish nouns and “there is” when used with singular nouns.
Like hola (hello), hombre (man), hermano (brother), and many other important Spanish words, hay begins with a silent “h,” meaning the pronunciation starts with the vowel sound that follows. With TruAccent speech recognition engine, you can nail the pronunciation of hay and other “h” words every time and confidently say sentences like:
- Hay hermosas hojas en los árboles. = There are beautiful leaves on the trees.
- Hay cinco hombres en la habitación. = There are five men in the room.
Key takeaways for expressing ‘are’ in Spanish
Translating “are” into Spanish is more nuanced than simple noun translations like “dog” to perro and “cat” to gato. To help you get it right in different situations, here are the key points to remember:
- “Are” can be expressed by conjugating ser, estar, tener, or haber in the present tense. Which one you use depends on the context.
- Eres, es, somos, sois, and son are forms of ser that translate as “are” when talking about permanent attributes of a person or object.
- Estás, está, estamos, estáis, and están are forms of estar that mean “are” when discussing a location, condition, or action in progress.
- Tienes, tiene, tenemos, tenéis, and tienen are forms of tener that can be used to express are when talking about someone’s age and in tener expressions like tener hambre (to be hungry) and tener sed (to be thirsty).
- Hay, the impersonal form of haber, expresses the existence of a noun (“there are”).
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