es vs está with location (say what?!!)

Question

If the answer is:
La clase de física es en el laboratorio. Then which of the below is the properly formed question?

1- ¿Dónde es la clase de física? OR

2 -¿Dónde está la clase de física?

I got this wrong on first attempt and changed it to what the computer program states is correct answer but I don't understand WHY it is correct answer.

Which answer would you pick?

Hutch has given you the resources for you to learn this yourself. Your question will be answered there. - rac1, Jun 11, 2012

No, it is NOT answered there. And if you all are so sure you know, the answer, why not answer? - RachelC, Jun 11, 2012

Answer 1

If you are talking about the location of an item or a place, like a bathroom, you would use "estar":

El libro está debajo de la mesa.

¿Dónde está el baño?

El baño esta al lado de la sala.

If you are talking about an EVENT, you use "ser":

La fiesta es en la casa de Juan. The "party" is an event taking place in Juan's house.

¿Dónde es la clase de física? The "physics class" is en event taking place in the lab.

La clase de física es en el laboratorio.

¿Dónde está el aula de física? The "physics classroom" is a place.

El aula de física está a la derecha.

Another way to look at it, is that you can ask "when" events take place, which would always take "ser".

¿Cuándo es la fiesta?

¿Cuándo es la clase de física?

But not... ¿Cuándo es el baño?

Super fácil, ¿no?

Thank you Tosh. This was like a trick question IMO. I looked at it as a location since the physics classroom is in a building. But I see how they came up with that question now, looking at it as an event. Your explanation makes sense! - RachelC, Jun 11, 2012

The answer btw, was 1- ¿Dónde es la clase de física? First time I tried, I had used ESTAR and wrote está. - RachelC, Jun 11, 2012

Thanks Tosh. That helped a lot. - 0095ca4c, Jun 12, 2012

Answer 2

To ask the question of where something is: Where is the class?

Yes, this will use 'estar' for location 'Dónde está la clase?'

However, the answer WILL be with 'ser' when say 'The class is in the lab': 'La clase es en el laboratorio'.

For the response, do not think of what follows the 'ser' ('en el laboratorio' in the example) as location, but as a 'dato', a cold hard fact with which you are answering the question. The fact that the class is in a laboratory is a 'dato', and the verb we use to do relay these 'datos' is 'ser'!

The whole 'estar'/location thing works a lot of the time, but I think you'll find with just about everything you learn, that nothing covers absolutely everything, there will always be that one thing (or several) that will throw you in for a loop.

Hope that helped!

-Charlius-

Thanks Charlius. Yep, this threw me for a loop. This helps a lot . - RachelC, Jun 11, 2012

Examples in my book: ¿Dondé está la Facultad de Medicina? and many other such location questions use está. I don't see how I can use this 'data' method to help with this. Maybe I'm not understanding correctly - the building locations are also a fact, no? - RachelC, Jun 11, 2012

Answer 3

Thank you Tosh. This was like a trick question IMO. I looked at it as a location since the physics classroom is in a building. But I see how they came up with that question now, looking at it as an event. Your explanation makes sense! - RachelC 6 hrs ago flag

The physics classroom IS a location and you use "estar" when asking where it is. Can you ask, "when is the physics classroom"? No, it is not an event.

The physics class is NOT a location. It is an event and you use "ser". Can you ask, "when is the physics class"? Yes.

¿Dónde es la clase de física?

En el aula de física.

¿Dónde está el aula de física?

En el laboratorio.

Answer 4

Estar is used for location.

Up at the top of the screen, click Learn, and then click Spanish grammar. Under the verbs section, you will find explanations for ser vs. estar.

I'm going to try to post the link. ser vs. estar

Thanks for link but you didn't answer the question! So would it be 1) es or 2) está ? - RachelC, Jun 11, 2012

Answer 5

Tosh and Charlius are correct. Another way to think of it is this: If you can substitute the verb "to be" with "sale," "ocurre," "estrena, "etc, then you should use "ser." These are cases where the thing happening does not pertain to the location. The event just happens to be there, but it could easily be in another place.

Answer 6

Maybe the misunderstanding here is which is "estar"? Está is a conjugation of estar. Es is a conjugation of ser. Does this help?