Spanish question

[carnation]

un, una=a

unos, unas=some

el, la, los, las=the


Use el before singular masculine items (el libro), la before singular feminine items (la pluma), los before plural masculine items (los libros), las before plural feminine items (las plumas).

In a nutshell, estar is used for location, temporary conditions, and the present progressive -and ser is used for the huge majority of everything else.