"Ser" vs "estar": "to be" in Spanish (use cases and conjugation)
Spanish
Learn the different the two forms of the verb "to be" in Spanish, "ser" and "estar", their conjugations and differences.
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"To be" in Spanish: "ser" and "estar"
In Spanish, both "ser" and "estar" translate to "to be" in English, but they are used in different contexts.
- Juan es médico. (Juan is a doctor.)ser
- Ana está cansada. (Ana is tired.)estar
Conjugation of "ser" in Spanish
In the following table, we will learn the conjugation of the verb "ser" in the present tense.
| Personal pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | Yo soy abogado. | I am a lawyer. |
| Tú (You) | Tú eres inteligente. | You are intelligent. |
| Ella (She/It) | Ella es simpática. | She is friendly. |
| Él (He/It) | Él es amable. | He is kind. |
| Nosotros/-as (We) | Nosotros somos amigos. | We are friends. |
| Vosotros/-as (You) | Vosotras sois artistas. | You are artists. |
| Ellos/-as (They) | Ellos son primos. | They are cousins. |
Conjugation of "estar" in Spanish
The following table contains the conjugation of the verb "estar" in the present tense.
| Personal pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | Yo estoy en casa. | I am at home. |
| Tú (You) | Tú estás leyendo un libro. | You are reading a book. |
| Ella (She/It) | Ella está cansada. | She is tired. |
| Él (He/It) | Él está contento. | He is happy. |
| Nosotros/-as (We) | Nosotros estamos comiendo. | We are eating. |
| Vosotros/-as (You) | Vosotros estáis ocupados. | You are busy. |
| Ellos/-as (They) | Ellos están en el parque. | They are in the park. |
"Estar" can be used as an auxiliary verb in progressive tenses to describe ongoing actions.
Nosotros estamos comiendo. (We are eating.)
Differences between "ser" and "estar" in Spanish
The use of the verb "ser"
The following phrases describe your identity and origin.
| Personal pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | Yo soy estudiante. | I am a student. |
| Ellas (They) | Ellas son francesas. | They are French. |
"Ser" is also used for describing permanent characteristics.
| Personal pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Nosotros (We) | Nosotros somos hermanos. | We are siblings. |
| Él (He) | Él es fuerte. | He is strong. |
Another use is describing possession.
| Personal pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Él (It) | El libro es tuyo. | The book is yours. |
The last important use case is expressing the time.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Son las tres de la tarde. | It is three in the afternoon. |
When saying the time in Spanish, "ser" is conjugated in the third person plural with the exception of one o'clock.
Son las cinco. (It's five o'clock.) General rule. It applies to all hours of the day.
Es la una. (It's one o'clock.) Exception. Use the third person singular when saying one o'clock.
The use of the verb "estar"
"Estar" is used for expressing a temporary state.
| Personal pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | Estoy cansado. | I am tired. |
The following examples show how to talk about emotions and health using "estar".
| Personal pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ellas (They) | Ellas están enfermas. | They are sick. |
| Yo (I) | Estoy feliz. | I am happy. |
"Estar" is also used when describing a location.
| Personal pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Nosotros (We) | Estamos en la playa. | We are at the beach. |
| Él (It) | El libro está abierto. | The book is open. |
Key takeaways
Here is a quick summary of this lesson.
- "Ser" is used to describe permanent characteristics, to express identity, origin, possession and to tell the time.
- "Estar" is used to express a temporary state, emotions and to describe a location.
- "Estar" can be used as an auxiliary verb in progressive tenses to describe ongoing actions.
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