You're standing in a busy plaza in Madrid or maybe a café in Mexico City. You want to say something simple. Just two words. We are. In English, it's easy. It’s universal. But the second you try to figure out how do you say we are in Spanish, you hit a wall because Spanish doesn't have one way to say it. It has two.
Actually, that’s not quite right. It has dozens of ways depending on who is in the group and what's happening.
Most beginners reach for a translator, see somos and estamos, and then freeze. It's the classic "Ser vs. Estar" dilemma that haunts Spanish learners from day one. Honestly, it’s frustrating. You just want to exist in a sentence, and suddenly you're forced to do a philosophical deep dive into the nature of permanence and temporary states.
Let's break this down like a real conversation, not a textbook.
The Core Confusion of How Do You Say We Are In Spanish
The literal answer to how do you say we are in Spanish is usually either somos or estamos.
If you are talking about who you are as people—your identities, your jobs, your nationalities—you use somos. Think of it as your DNA. If you are talking about where you are or how you feel, you use estamos. It’s your current vibe or GPS coordinates.
But here’s where people trip up.
Spanish is a gendered language. "We" isn't just "we." It's nosotros if the group is all men or a mix of men and women. It's nosotras if it’s strictly women. If you're a guy and you say nosotras, people will look at you funny. It happens. Don't sweat it.
When "Somos" is Your Only Choice
Imagine you’re introducing your family. "We are Americans." That’s somos americanos. You aren't going to stop being American tomorrow. It's a defining characteristic.
Somos comes from the verb Ser. Use it for:
- Profession: Somos ingenieros (We are engineers).
- Origin: Somos de California (We are from California).
- Relationships: Somos hermanos (We are brothers).
- Religious or political affiliations.
- The time of day (though this sounds weird in the plural "we" form, it’s still the Ser family).
When "Estamos" Takes Over
Now, say you’re at a party. You’re tired. You’re in the kitchen. In this case, you use estamos. Estamos cansados (We are tired). Estamos en la cocina (We are in the kitchen).
Estamos comes from Estar. Use it for:
- Location: No matter if it’s for five minutes or five centuries, locations use estamos. Even a building "is" (está) somewhere.
- Emotions: Estamos felices (We are happy).
- Physical states: Estamos sentados (We are seated).
- Actions in progress: Estamos comiendo (We are eating).
The Nuance Nobody Tells You About
People love to say Ser is permanent and Estar is temporary. That's a lie. Well, a half-truth that makes teachers' lives easier but confuses students later.
If someone dies, they are dead. That's pretty permanent, right? In Spanish, you use Estar. Estamos muertos (literally "we are dead," maybe after a long hike). Death is considered a state, a change from being alive, so it gets Estar.
On the flip side, what about your job? You could get fired tomorrow. But you still use somos. Why? Because in the Spanish-speaking mind, a profession is a category you belong to. It’s a definition of your role in society, not just a place you're standing.
Why You Can Usually Skip the Word "Nosotros"
If you really want to know how do you say we are in Spanish like a local, you have to learn to drop the "we."
In English, "Are" is vague. We are, you are, they are. You need the pronoun. In Spanish, the verb ending tells you everything. Somos already means "we are." Adding nosotros in front of it is often redundant.
Native speakers only use nosotros for emphasis or to clear up confusion.
"We (and not those other guys) are the winners." -> Nosotros somos los ganadores.
Otherwise? Just say Somos los ganadores. It’s faster. It’s cleaner. It makes you sound less like a translation app and more like a human being.
👉 See also: What is a Doggo and Why Does the Internet Talk This Way?
Common Mistakes with "We Are"
Let’s look at some specific scenarios where English speakers get into trouble.
The "Hot" Problem
In English, you say "We are hot" if the sun is beating down on you. If you translate that literally to Somos calientes, you’ve just told everyone in the room that your group is... well, sexually aroused. Not great.
To say "we are hot" (temperature-wise), you don't even use the verb "to be." You use "to have."
Tenemos calor. (We have heat).
The "Right" Problem
"We are right" about an argument? Don't use somos or estamos.
It’s Tenemos razón. (We have reason).
The "Age" Problem
"We are thirty years old."
Again, Spanish uses "have."
Tenemos treinta años.
This is why focusing solely on how do you say we are in Spanish can be a trap. Sometimes the answer isn't a "to be" verb at all.
Regional Slang and Variations
Spanish isn't a monolith. How people express "we are" can shift based on where you are on the map.
In some parts of Argentina or Uruguay, the rhythm of the sentence might change, or people might use specific collective nouns. But the core verbs somos and estamos remain the heavy lifters across the board.
One thing you'll notice in casual conversation is the use of la gente (the people) to mean "we."
"La gente está loca" can sometimes mean "We (the people here) are crazy." It’s a way of distancing yourself while still including yourself.
How to Practice Without Looking at a Chart
Stop trying to memorize the 50 rules of Ser and Estar. It doesn't work when you're actually talking. Your brain can't process a flowchart fast enough to keep up with a fast-talking bartender in Seville.
Instead, learn phrases as blocks.
- Estamos listos (We are ready).
- Somos amigos (We are friends).
- Estamos aquí (We are here).
If you learn them as single units of meaning, you don't have to think about the grammar. You just know that "ready" goes with "estamos" and "friends" goes with "somos."
The Identity Test
When you’re about to speak, ask yourself: Am I describing what we are (Identity) or how we are (Condition)?
If I say "We are boring," am I saying we are boring people (Identity)? -> Somos aburridos.
Or am I saying we are bored right now (Condition)? -> Estamos aburridos.
That one letter change at the start of the verb completely changes the meaning of your sentence. If you tell a date Somos aburridos, don't expect a second one. You just told them your personality is a snooze fest.
Actionable Steps for Mastering "We Are"
Don't just read this and nod. If you want to actually use this, you need to bake it into your brain.
- Audit your "We" statements: For the next hour, every time you say "we are" in English, quickly think which Spanish verb you'd use. Are you at the mall? (Location = Estamos). Are you siblings? (Relationship = Somos).
- Ditch the pronoun: Practice saying somos and estamos without the word nosotros. It will feel naked at first. Do it anyway.
- Watch for the "To Have" traps: Remind yourself that hunger, thirst, age, and temperature aren't things you are in Spanish—they are things you have.
- Listen for the ending: When watching a Spanish show, listen specifically for the "-mos" ending. That’s your "we" signal.
The reality of learning how do you say we are in Spanish is that you will mess it up. You'll say somos when you meant estamos. You'll say you're "hot" in a way that makes the room go silent. It’s part of the process. The more you use these verbs in real contexts, the more the "permanent vs. temporary" rule starts to feel like second nature rather than a math equation.
Stop overthinking the grammar. Just start using the blocks. Eventually, the right verb will just "sound" right, and that's when you know you've actually learned it.