Estar + Past Participle (AQA A-Level Spanish): Revision Notes
Estar + Past Participle
Overview
The construction estar + past participle (also called the resultative passive) expresses the resulting condition or state of something, rather than the action itself or who performed it. This structure focuses on describing how something is, not what happened to create that condition.
In English, this corresponds to phrases like:
- is closed
- was broken
- are prepared
The key distinction is that this structure emphasises the current state, not the completed action that led to that state.
Rules and formation
Basic structure
The construction follows this pattern:
Estar (conjugated) + past participle
Basic Examples:
- La puerta está cerrada – The door is closed
- El coche está reparado – The car is repaired
Past participle agreement
In this construction, the past participle behaves like an adjective. This means it must agree with the noun it describes in both gender and number.
| Subject | Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | El coche está reparado | The car is repaired |
| Feminine singular | La puerta está cerrada | The door is closed |
| Masculine plural | Los informes están terminados | The reports are finished |
| Feminine plural | Las ventanas están abiertas | The windows are open |
Notice how the ending of the past participle changes:
- -o for masculine singular (reparado)
- -a for feminine singular (cerrada)
- -os for masculine plural (terminados)
- -as for feminine plural (abiertas)
Remember that this is not a tense – it describes a state or condition.
When to use estar + past participle
To describe a resulting state
Use this structure when an action has already taken place and you want to describe the visible or relevant result. The action is complete, and you're focusing on the current condition.
Example: Describing Completed Work
El trabajo está hecho – The work is done
Explanation: The action of doing the work is finished. We're describing the current state: the work is in a completed state.
Example: Describing Current Conditions
Las calles están bloqueadas – The streets are blocked
Explanation: Something has blocked the streets, and they remain in that blocked condition now.
To describe a temporary condition
This structure is often used with time expressions or in contexts that suggest the condition could change. It emphasises that the state is not permanent.
Example: Temporary State with Time Expression
El museo está cerrado hoy – The museum is closed today
Explanation: The museum is in a closed state right now (today), but this is temporary – it will open again.
Example: Present Arrangement
El sistema está controlado por expertos – The system is controlled by experts
Explanation: Currently, experts are in control of the system, describing the present arrangement.
Comparison with other passive structures
Estar + participle vs ser + participle
These two structures look similar but serve different purposes.
| Estar + participle | Ser + participle |
|---|---|
| Focus on result/state | Focus on action |
| La puerta está cerrada | La puerta fue cerrada |
| The door is closed | The door was closed |
| Describes how it is | Describes what happened |
Key Distinction:
- Estar tells us about the current condition: the door is in a closed state
- Ser tells us about the action: someone closed the door (passive voice)
Estar + participle vs reflexive passive
The reflexive passive (using se) is another way to express passive ideas, but it focuses on the action rather than the resulting state.
| Estar + participle | Reflexive passive (se) |
|---|---|
| Describes state | Describes action |
| Las entradas están vendidas | Se vendieron las entradas |
| The tickets are sold (out) | The tickets were sold |
Understanding the Difference:
- Estar describes the current state: the tickets are in a sold-out state
- Se describes the action: the tickets underwent the action of being sold
Common mistakes and tips
Mistake 1: Using ser instead of estar when describing a state
- ❌ Las puertas es cerrada
- ✓ Las puertas están cerradas – The doors are closed
Tip: If you're describing the current condition or state of something (not the action that caused it), use estar.
Mistake 2: Forgetting past participle agreement
The past participle must agree with the noun in gender and number.
- ❌ Las puertas está cerrada
- ✓ Las puertas están cerradas – The doors are closed
Tip: Always check: Is the noun masculine or feminine? Singular or plural? Adjust the participle ending accordingly.
Mistake 3: Using estar + participle to describe an action
This structure describes states, not actions.
- ❌ La puerta está cerrada por el conserje (trying to say "closed by the caretaker")
- ✓ La puerta fue cerrada por el conserje – The door was closed by the caretaker
Tip: If you need to mention who performed the action (the agent), use ser + participle instead. The estar + participle structure focuses only on the resulting state, not on who caused it.
Example sentences with explanations
Example 1: Completed Work
El trabajo está hecho
The work is done
This sentence describes the current state of the work. The action of completing it has already happened, and now we're observing that it exists in a finished state.
Example 2: Current Condition
Las calles están bloqueadas
The streets are blocked
Here, the focus is on the condition of the streets right now. Something has blocked them, and they remain in that blocked state. We're not discussing who blocked them or when.
Example 3: Temporary State
El museo está cerrado hoy
The museum is closed today
This expresses a temporary state. Today, the museum is in a closed condition. The time expression "hoy" reinforces that this is not permanent.
Example 4: Present Arrangement
El sistema está controlado por expertos
The system is controlled by experts
Although "por expertos" appears here, the focus remains on the state of the system (being in a controlled state), rather than on the specific action of controlling it.
Example 5: Masculine Plural Agreement
Los informes están terminados
The reports are finished
The reports exist in a completed state. Note the masculine plural agreement: terminados agrees with los informes.
Example 6: Feminine Plural Agreement
Las ventanas están abiertas
The windows are open
The windows are in an open state. Note the feminine plural agreement: abiertas agrees with las ventanas.
Key Points to Remember:
- Use estar + past participle to describe the resulting state or condition of something, not the action that caused it
- The past participle acts like an adjective and must agree in gender and number with the noun
- This construction describes states, not actions – if you need to mention who did something, use ser + participle instead
- Estar emphasises how something is right now, while ser emphasises what happened, and se emphasises the action itself
- Always check your agreement: masculine/feminine and singular/plural must match!