How to Say "standing" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “standing” is “parado” — use 'parado' when referring to the physical act of being on your feet, not sitting or lying down.
parado
pah-RAH-dohpaˈɾaðo
Examples
Estuve parado en la fila por una hora.
I was standing in line for an hour.
Estuvo parado en la esquina esperando el autobús.
He was standing on the corner waiting for the bus.
El coche se quedó parado en medio de la carretera.
The car was left stopped in the middle of the road.
Use with 'Estar'
When 'parado' describes a temporary state (like someone standing up right now), you almost always use the verb 'estar'.
Confusing 'Parado' and 'De Pie'
Mistake: “Using 'parado' only when meaning 'standing' (like standing up).”
Correction: 'De pie' specifically means 'on one's feet.' 'Parado' can mean 'standing' OR 'stopped.' If you want to emphasize the upright position, use 'de pie'.
estatus
es-TAH-toosesˈtatus
Examples
El nuevo gerente tiene un alto estatus en la empresa.
The new manager has a high standing in the company.
Ella tiene un alto estatus en la comunidad científica.
She has a high status in the scientific community.
Un coche de lujo suele ser un símbolo de estatus.
A luxury car is often a status symbol.
El estatus socioeconómico influye en las oportunidades educativas.
Socioeconomic status influences educational opportunities.
The 'E' Rule
Spanish words cannot start with an 'S' followed by another consonant. Because the English word is 'status,' Spanish adds an 'E' at the beginning to make it easier to pronounce: 'estatus'.
Gender and Ending
Even though it ends in 'us' (which is unusual for Spanish nouns), this word is masculine: 'el estatus'.
Forgetting the 'E'
Mistake: “Él quiere mejorar su status.”
Correction: Él quiere mejorar su estatus. Always remember to add the 'e' at the start for the correct Spanish spelling.
reputación
Examples
Ella construyó una reputación sólida como abogada.
She built a strong standing as a lawyer.
prestigio
pres-TEE-hyopɾesˈti.xjo
Examples
La universidad goza de gran prestigio internacional.
The university enjoys great international standing.
Esa universidad tiene mucho prestigio.
That university has a lot of prestige.
Ganar el premio nacional aumentó su prestigio como escritor.
Winning the national award increased his standing as a writer.
La empresa perdió su prestigio después del escándalo.
The company lost its reputation after the scandal.
A standard masculine noun
Prestigio is a masculine noun. This means you should always use masculine markers like 'el' or 'un' and pair it with masculine adjectives like 'mucho' or 'bueno'.
Describing with 'de'
To say something has prestige, you often use the structure 'de prestigio'. For example, 'un médico de prestigio' means 'a prestigious doctor'.
Using it as an adjective
Mistake: “Él es muy prestigio.”
Correction: Él tiene mucho prestigio (or 'Él es muy prestigioso').
términos
Examples
Terminaron su relación en malos términos.
They ended their relationship on bad terms (standing).
condición
Examples
Nació en una condición humilde y se hizo a sí mismo.
He was born into a humble standing (condition) and made himself.
cotización
Examples
Su cotización como jugador de fútbol aumentó después del mundial.
His standing as a soccer player increased after the World Cup.
proyección
Examples
El político trabaja en su proyección de cara a las elecciones.
The politician is working on his public standing (projection) ahead of the elections.
permanente
per-ma-NEN-tepeɾ.maˈnen.te
Examples
Se creó una comisión permanente para supervisar el proyecto.
A standing (permanent) committee was created to oversee the project.
Necesitamos una solución permanente a este problema.
We need a permanent solution to this problem.
El daño al edificio no es permanente, se puede reparar.
The damage to the building is not permanent; it can be repaired.
Ella tiene un puesto permanente en la universidad.
She has a permanent position at the university.
Always the Same
As an adjective, 'permanente' always keeps the same ending ('-e'), whether it describes a masculine or feminine person or thing (e.g., 'el cambio permanente' and 'la solución permanente').
Confusing Reputation vs. Physical Posture
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