estas

Estas is a Spanish demonstrative word used as a feminine plural determiner or pronoun. It means “these” and refers to nouns that are near the speaker. It agrees in gender and number with the noun; the masculine plural is estos, the feminine singular is esta, and the masculine singular is este. When placed before a noun, estas functions as a determiner; when standing alone as a pronoun, it replaces a feminine plural noun, as in “Estas son mis amigas.”

Usage and examples: Before a noun, estas modifies the noun, as in Estas ideas requieren revisión (“These ideas require revision”). As a pronoun, it can stand for a feminine plural noun already mentioned, as in Estas son las que prefiero (“These are the ones I prefer”). Estas indicates proximity and is often contrasted with esas (those) and aquellas (those over there).

Spellings and common confusion: The verb form est as (you are) is a different word and carries an accent: estás. When written without the accent, estas is the demonstrative; with the accent, estás means “you are.” This is a common source of confusion for learners of Spanish.

See also: Este, Esta, Estos, Esas, Eso. These related forms illustrate how Spanish demonstratives mark gender and number and how they relate to the pronoun system.