How to say “I am” in Spanish

Soy

Estoy

• After finding out that even when “tengo sed” means “I’m thirsty”, “tengo” doesn’t mean “I am”, now the next question would be:

• Then, how do you say “I am” in Spanish?

• After finding out that even when “tengo sed” means “I’m thirsty”, “tengo” doesn’t mean “I am”, now the next question would be:

• Then, how do you say “I am” in Spanish?

• This is when things get a little more complicated, because there are two ways of saying “I am” in Spanish:

• After finding out that even when “tengo sed” means “I’m thirsty”, “tengo” doesn’t mean “I am”, now the next question would be:

• Then, how do you say “I am” in Spanish?

• This is when things get a little more complicated, because there are two ways of saying “I am” in Spanish:

– When I am something, or someone in a more permanent way, or

– When I am something in a temporary way.

“I am” in a more permanent way:Things that are not going to change easily.

un hombre, soy una mujer.

– I am a man, I am a woman.

“I am” in a more permanent way:Things that are not going to change easily.

un niño, soy una niña.

– I am a boy, I am a girl.

“I am” in a more permanent way:Things that are not going to change easily.

inteligente.

– I am intelligent.

“I am” in a more permanent way:Things that are not going to change easily.

guapo.

– I am handsome.

“I am” in a more permanent way:Things that are not going to change easily.

bonita.

– I am pretty.

“I am” in a more permanent way:Things that are not going to change easily.

estudioso(a) y trabajador(a).

– I am studious (hard studying) and hard working.

“I am” in a more permanent way:Things that are not going to change easily.

un héroe, soy una heroína.

– I am a hero, I am a heroine.

“I am” in a more permanent way:Things that are not going to change easily.

humilde y modesto(a).

– I am humble and unpretentious.

“I am” in a more permanent way:Things that are not going to change easily.

un hombre, soy una mujer.

un niño, soy una niña.

inteligente.

guapo.

bonita.

estudioso(a) y trabajador(a).

un héroe, soy una heroína.

humilde y modesto(a).

enojado

– I am angry, mad, upset.

“I am” in a more temporary way:Things that could change easily.

contenta

– I am happy.

“I am” in a more temporary way:Things that could change easily.

triste

– I am sad.

“I am” in a more temporary way:Things that could change easily.

enfermo

– I am sick.

“I am” in a more temporary way:Things that could change easily.

en la escuela

– I am at the school.

“I am” in a more temporary way:Things that could change easily.

en la tienda

– I am at the store.

“I am” in a more temporary way:Things that could change easily.

hambriento, sediento, muerto de frío, muerto de miedo

– I am hungry, thirsty, cold to death, scared to death.

“I am” in a more temporary way:Things that could change easily.

de prisa

– I am in a hurry.

“I am” in a more temporary way:Things that could change easily.

enojado

contenta

triste

enfermo

en la escuela

en la tienda

hambriento, sediento, muerto de frío, muerto de miedo

de prisa

“I am” in a more temporary way:Things that could change easily.

Estoy hambriento, estoy sediento.

• Yes, here you can see that there is a way to use the verb “to be” to say I am hungry. Notice that when you say in Spanish “estoyhambriento” it’s a little more dramatic (melodramatic). The most common way is to say “tengo hambre”.

• The same applies to “estoy sediento” and “tengo sed”.

I am in a hurry.

• “Tengo prisa”, “estoy de prisa”, “llevo prisa”, “estoy apurado”, “ando apurado” are different ways to say “I am in a hurry”.

• You don’t have to learn all those at this time.

• This notice is for you to be able to know what they are saying when you hear someone using those expressions.

Estoy muerto = I am dead.

• Notice that we are using the temporary form of “to be” (estoy) with the expression “estoymuerto”. Of course when you are dead, that’s not a temporary situation, right?

• This is a way to emphasize the situation, like in English: thirsty to death, scared to death, and so on.

• You can use the same expression with laughing to death (“estar muerto de risa”).