“They are” in Spanish is son or están (often without a pronoun), picked by meaning: identity vs state or location.
If you’ve typed this into a translator and got two answers, you’re not alone. English uses one “to be.” Spanish splits that job between ser and estar, so “they are” can change while the English sentence stays the same.
This page gives you a clean way to pick the right form fast, plus examples that sound natural in everyday Spanish.
Fast Answer For What Is They Are In Spanish?
Most of the time you’ll say son or están. The subject pronoun is optional, so you can drop ellos, ellas, or ustedes unless you need contrast or clarity.
Use son for who someone is, what something is, time, dates, and events. Use están for how someone is, where someone or something is, and conditions that can change.
| English Idea | Spanish “They Are” | When It Fits |
|---|---|---|
| They are students | (Ellos/Ellas) son estudiantes | Identity or classification |
| They are tired | (Ellos/Ellas) están cansados/cansadas | State right now |
| They are in the kitchen | (Ellos/Ellas) están en la cocina | Location of people or things |
| They are from Mexico | (Ellos/Ellas) son de México | Origin |
| They are funny (as a trait) | (Ellos/Ellas) son graciosos/graciosas | Usual trait |
| They are funny today (vibe) | (Ellos/Ellas) están graciosos/graciosas hoy | Mood or behavior in a moment |
| They are ready | (Ellos/Ellas) están listos/listas | Condition before an action |
| They are my friends | (Ellos/Ellas) son mis amigos/amigas | Relationship or identity |
| They are on the table | (Las llaves) están en la mesa | Location of things |
Saying They Are In Spanish By Meaning
Pick Ser When You Mean Identity
Think of ser as a label. You’re naming what something is, where it’s from, what it’s made of, or how it’s generally described.
- Son médicos. (They are doctors.)
- Son de Dhaka. (They are from Dhaka.)
- Son altos. (They are tall.)
- Son las tres. (It’s three o’clock.)
Ser With Time, Dates, And Events
Time and dates use ser, and event timing often does too. When you hear son in a sentence that is not about people, it’s often marking a time, a date, or an event.
- Son las ocho. (It’s eight o’clock.)
- Hoy es lunes. (Today is Monday.)
- Las clases son a las nueve. (Classes are at nine.)
One more twist: event location often uses ser too. You can say La reunión es en la sala 2. In plural: Las reuniones son en la sala 2.
Pick Estar When You Mean State Or Place
Think of estar as a status update. You’re talking about a condition, a feeling, or where someone or something is located.
- Están ocupados. (They are busy.)
- Están en casa. (They are at home.)
- Están enfermos. (They are sick.)
- Están abiertos. (They are open.)
Estar With Actions Happening Right Now
Spanish also pairs estar with a gerund (the -ing form) to show something in progress. It’s a handy pattern when English uses “they are studying” or “they are working.”
- Están estudiando. (They are studying.)
- Están trabajando. (They are working.)
- Están esperando el bus. (They are waiting for the bus.)
A Shortcut That Helps, With One Caveat
You may hear a memory line like “ser for what it is, estar for how it is.” It’s a decent starter. Still, treat it as a first pass, not a law.
Location is the big caveat: estar is the default for where people and things are, even when the location does not change much. A museum can sit in the same spot for centuries, and you still say El museo está en el centro.
Which Pronoun Matches They?
English “they” can point to men, women, mixed groups, or a plural “you.” Spanish marks that with different pronouns, yet you can omit them in many sentences.
Ellos, Ellas, And Ustedes
- Ellos = they (men or mixed group)
- Ellas = they (women only)
- Ustedes = you (plural)
All three use the same verb forms in the present: son for ser, and están for estar.
When You Should Say The Pronoun
Most of the time, the verb ending already tells you “they.” Add the pronoun when it clears up confusion or adds contrast.
- Contrast:Ellos están listos, pero nosotros no. (They’re ready, but we’re not.)
- Clarity: When two groups are in the same story and you’re switching between them.
- Polite plural:Ustedes están invitados. (You all are invited.)
Gender Agreement In Real Life Sentences
Spanish adjectives match the group. If it’s all women, you’ll use the -as ending. If it’s men, or a mixed group, you’ll use -os.
- Ellasestán cansadas. (They are tired.)
- Ellosestán cansados. (They are tired.)
- Ellasson inteligentes. (They are smart.)
Some adjectives don’t change by gender, like inteligente. In that case, only the plural changes: inteligentes.
Common Mix Ups That Trip People Up
They Are Vs There Are
“They are” points to people or things you already have in mind. “There are” is a count or existence statement. Spanish uses hay for “there is/there are,” not son or están.
- There are three chairs. → Hay tres sillas.
- There are many students here. → Hay muchos estudiantes aquí.
Traits Vs Conditions With The Same Adjective
Some adjectives shift meaning with ser vs estar. That’s why picking the verb is not just grammar; it changes the message.
- Son aburridos. (They are boring.)
- Están aburridos. (They are bored.)
- Son listos. (They are smart.)
- Están listos. (They are ready.)
If you want a quick refresher straight from the dictionary side, the RAE entries for ser and estar show how wide these verbs run.
Location Of Events Uses Ser
This one surprises people. People and objects use estar for location, yet events often use ser. Think of an event as something that “takes place” in a spot.
- El concierto es en el estadio. (The concert is at the stadium.)
- Las clases son en línea. (The classes are online.)
They Are In Past Tense
You came here for “they are,” but you’ll soon want “they were.” It follows the same meaning split:
- Eran estudiantes. (They were students.)
- Estaban cansados. (They were tired.)
- Estaban en casa. (They were at home.)
If you learn son/están well, eran/estaban will feel like the same idea in a different tense.
Mini Decision Check You Can Use While Writing
When you’re stuck, stop and ask one question:
- Am I naming who/what they are? → Use son.
- Am I naming how they are or where they are? → Use están.
Then match the gender and number of the adjective. Mixed group defaults to masculine plural in Spanish, so ellos están cansados works for a group of men or a mixed group.
Practice Table For Son Vs Están
Fill each blank with son or están, based on the English meaning.
| English Line | Spanish With A Blank | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| They are in the park | ___ en el parque | están |
| They are engineers | ___ ingenieros/ingenieras | son |
| They are nervous | ___ nerviosos/nerviosas | están |
| They are from Spain | ___ de España | son |
| They are ready | ___ listos/listas | están |
| They are my cousins | ___ mis primos/primas | son |
| They are studying | ___ estudiando | están |
| They are funny people | ___ personas graciosas | son |
Accent Marks On Están Matter
In writing, keep the accent on están and está. Without it, the word looks wrong to many readers and it can slow you down in class.
- están = they are (estar, present)
- está = he/she/you are (estar, present)
- Write estáis for vosotros, not estais
On a phone, just press and hold the vowel to pick á, é, í, ó, or ú.
Son has no accent. If you see són, it’s a typo. Say it with one clean beat: sohn.
Quick Conjugation Snapshot For Ser And Estar
You only need two forms for “they are” in the present tense, but it helps to see the whole row so your brain stops second-guessing.
- ser: ellos/ellas/ustedes son
- estar: ellos/ellas/ustedes están
Practice With Real Sentences
Try these the way you’d say them in a chat. Don’t overthink it. Pick the verb that matches the meaning you want.
- They are my neighbors. → Son mis vecinos.
- They are at the station. → Están en la estación.
- They are happy today. → Están felices hoy.
- They are happy people. → Son personas felices.
Common Sentence Patterns That Sound Natural
Drop The Pronoun When The Verb Already Shows It
In a lot of Spanish, the subject is left out because it’s already baked into the verb.
- Son simpáticos. (They are nice.)
- Están en clase. (They are in class.)
Add A Reason With Porque
If you want to add a reason, keep the first part short, then tack on the why.
- Están nerviosos porque hay examen. (They are nervous because there’s a test.)
- Son de aquí, por eso hablan español en casa. (They’re from here, so they speak Spanish at home.)
Use En To Place Them Somewhere
For locations, en does a lot of work. Combine it with están and you can place a group almost anywhere.
- Están en la biblioteca.
- Están en mi casa.
Spot Check Your Translator Output
Translators can give a grammatical sentence that still misses your meaning. When you paste “they are” alone, the tool has to guess the context, and it may guess wrong.
To get a better result, feed it the whole thought: add the adjective, place, or noun that follows. “They are ready” pushes the tool toward están; “They are doctors” pushes it toward son.
Small Checklist Before You Hit Send
Use this as a last pass when you write a sentence and it feels off.
- Is this identity, origin, job, time, date, event, or a label? Use son.
- Is this a feeling, condition, location, or status right now? Use están.
- Does the adjective match the group? cansados for men or mixed group, cansadas for women only.
- Can you drop the pronoun and keep it clear? If yes, drop it.
If you want to see the question phrased plainly one more time, here it is in the same wording you searched: what is they are in spanish? It’s usually son or están, and the right pick comes from the meaning you want.
And if you’re writing a longer sentence and you catch yourself freezing again, return to that one-step check. Identity gets son. State or place gets están. That habit pays off fast.
One more time for the search phrase, so it’s easy to match while you study: what is they are in spanish? In Spanish you can say ellos son, ellas son, ellos están, or ellas están, yet most of the time you’ll just write son or están and move on.