ReVerb Spanish

Andar vs. Estar

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It may seem odd, but the verb ANDAR, which literally means “to walk” can be used as a replacement verb for ESTAR, which means “to be.”

A common expression in Spanish is ¿Qué tal andamos? or ¿Cómo andamos?

In English that is translated as “How are we doing?” or “What’s new?”

“¿Cómo andamos?” is just another way of asking “¿Cómo estás?”

But ¿Cómo andamos? es muy informal. That means it’s a very casual phrase you would typically use with people you know, like friends and family. It’s not an expression that you would use in a formal setting, for example, on a job interview. You wouldn’t greet the job interviewer with the line ¿Cómo andamos? but rather ¿Cómo está usted?

So, how do you know when it’s OK to use ANDAR as a substitute for ESTAR? Fortunately, there are some specific rules to this.

ANDAR + a gerund

Click here for an explanation of what a gerund is.

Normally, a Spanish gerund is paired with the verb ESTAR. In English, we say, “I am working” and, in Spanish that would be “Estoy trabajando.”

If we change “estoy trabajando” to “ando trabajando,” we’re giving an additional piece of information. Why? Because the formula “ANDAR + a gerund” is a way to talk about a habitual action. A repeated action. Or you can think of it as an action that has become a custom or something that happens with regularity.

Consider the following examples:

Estoy muy cansada. En las últimas semanas, ando durmiendo menos de seis horas. (I am so tired. In the last few weeks, I’ve been sleeping less than six hours.)

¡Qué cómic tan chulo! Voy a comprarlo para mi sobrino que anda coleccionándolos desde hace meses. (Wow! What a cool comic book! I’m going to buy it for my nephew who has been collecting them for a few months now.)

ANDAR + past participle

Another situation in which ANDAR can be used as a subsitute for ESTAR is when you want to indicate a situation or a state of being that has being going on for a while.

¡Mamá! ¿Qué le pasa a Papá? ¿Por qué está tan triste?

Bueno, hija, es que anda muy preocupado por la crisis economíca. Cree que va a perder su trabajo.

As you can see with this example, the speaker could also have said “está muy preocupado. The dfference here is that using ANDAR adds another layer of meaning to that state of being worried. The verb andar, in this case, conveys the idea that the person who is worried, la persona que anda preocupada, has been worried for a while.

ANDAR + adjective

Mira! Desde que le tocó la lotería, Javier anda muy contento.

[Wow, would you look at that! Since he won the lottery, Javier is very happy (has been very happy).]

Again, you could’ve said, Javier está muy contento, in this situation and that would’ve been 100% correct. But saying Javier anda muy contento, conveys the idea that his state of happiness has become a frequent state of being for Javier. In other words, a habit.

Ok, well, I think that’s about it for ANDAR vs ESTAR. There are some other cool ways to use ANDAR.

Anda, ¡Anda ya!

Anda, an imperative form of the verb, is used frequently in Castilian Spanish as a way of expressing disbelief, surprise, fear, sarcasm or disgust. It can also be used to encourage somebody.  ¡Anda! or ¡Anda ya! have fluid meanings that depend on the tone of voice and the situation. The translation in English can mean “come on” or “yeah, right” or “gosh” or “gimme a break”, etc.

Tranquila, ¡anda, no llores más! (Calm down, come on, don’t cry any more!)

¡Anda ya! ¡No digas tonterías! (Come on! Get off it! Don’t say stupid things!)

Other examples con ¡anda!

¡Anda que no he tenido que trabajar tanto en la vida! (Gosh, I’ve never had to work so hard in my life!)

¡Anda, que como se entere mi padre! (Oh boy, wait until my dad finds out!)

As you can see, the verb ANDAR is very versatile. There’s one other usage of ANDAR but use it very carefully. Andáte con cuidado means “be careful” but it is generally considered a warning or a threat. So don’t use this as your closing remark in an email! When you want to be friendly and thoughtful the equivalent of  “take care” or “be careful”  in Spanish is “ten cuidado” (tú)  or “tenga cuidado” (usted).

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