estarán
/es-ta-RÁN/
they will be
This image shows 'they will be' at the distant town soon, illustrating a future location.
estarán(verb)
they will be
?future location or temporary state/health
,you (plural formal) will be
?future location or temporary state/health
they'll be
?contraction
📝 In Action
Para Navidad, todos los invitados estarán en la sala principal.
A2For Christmas, all the guests will be in the main living room.
Si trabajamos toda la noche, mañana por la mañana estaremos muy cansados, pero ellos estarán listos.
B1If we work all night, tomorrow morning we will be very tired, but they will be ready.
Los niños estarán con sus abuelos hasta el domingo.
A2The children will be with their grandparents until Sunday.
💡 Grammar Points
When to use 'Estar'
Remember to use estar (and thus estarán) for temporary things: where something is located, how someone feels, or if a condition changes (like being clean or dirty).
Future Tense Structure
Estarán is formed by taking the whole infinitive (estar) and adding the 'án' ending for the 'they/you plural' form.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Ser and Estar
Mistake: "Mis amigos serán en la casa."
Correction: Mis amigos *estarán* en la casa. (Location is temporary, so use a form of *estar*.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Location is Always Estar
A simple rule: If you can point to it, use a form of estar. If you're talking about identity or origin, use a form of ser.
The fox makes a strong guess: 'They must be' hiding behind that tree, illustrating present conjecture.
estarán(verb)
they must be
?present conjecture or strong guess
,they are probably
?expressing likelihood
I wonder if they are
?expressing doubt or uncertainty
📝 In Action
No han llegado al concierto. Estarán todavía atascados en el tráfico.
B1They haven't arrived at the concert. They must still be stuck in traffic.
¿Dónde están Juan y María? Estarán de compras en el centro.
B2Where are Juan and Maria? They're probably shopping downtown.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Future of Probability'
Spanish uses the simple future tense (estarán) to make a guess about what is currently true or happening. This is confusing for English speakers, who use 'must' or 'probably' instead.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the wrong tense for guessing
Mistake: "Deben estar en la casa ahora."
Correction: *Estarán* en la casa ahora. (While 'deben estar' is correct, using the simple future form *estarán* is much more natural and common for conjecture.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Context is King
If you see estarán used without a future time marker (like mañana or próxima semana), it almost certainly means 'they must be' or 'they are probably'.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: estarán
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'estarán' to express a guess about the CURRENT situation, rather than a future event?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the subject of 'estarán'?
'Estarán' always refers to a plural subject in the third person. This means it is used for 'ellos' (they, masculine/mixed), 'ellas' (they, feminine), or 'ustedes' (you, plural/formal).
How do I know if 'estarán' means 'will be' or 'must be'?
Look at the context! If the sentence includes a future time word (like 'next week' or 'tomorrow'), it means 'will be' (future). If there is no time word and the speaker is clearly guessing about the present, it means 'must be' (conjecture).