Ser vs Estar

© Marie-Claire Hunter, 2013 www.learnenglishspanishonline.com

A complete lesson, including verb conjugations, personal pronouns and use of adjectives – not for the faint hearted!

2 Verbs

Although in English we only have one verb that means ‘to be’ – in Spanish there are two.

And this is where things get a little tricky.

Lost already?

If you’re already a little lost each verb starts out in its infinitive form (eg. to be) and then it gets changed

(conjugated) ready to be used in sentences.

Verb infinitive = to be

Present tense conjugations = I am, you are, he is, she is, we are, they are

So how does conjugating work?Verbs are conjugated to show which person is doing the action of the

verb (I, you, he, she, we, they etc) and also when they are doing that action (present, past, future etc).

eg. verb infinitive = to run

present tense conjugations = I run, you run, he runs, she runs, we run, they run

past tense conjugations = I ran, you ran, he ran, she ran, we ran, they ran

future tense conjugations = I will run, you will run, he will run, she will run, we will run etc

Pronunciation RulesBut before we get started with those two Spanish verbs

that are the equivalent of the English verb ‘to be’, here are some suggestions to help you pronounce the Spanish words

in this lesson (and in fact all Spanish words) correctly.

First of all, look for an accent …

1. If the word carries an accent then stress that syllable.

Papá (Dad)

2. If there’s no accent but the word ends in a vowel, an ‘n’ or an ‘s’ stress the second to last syllable of the word.

Alto (tall), Amigable (friendly)

3. If there’s no accent but the word ends in any other letter (other than the above),stress the last syllable.

4. Amistad (friendship)

Top tip for the day!

Many teachers and grammar books will tell you to use ‘ser’ for permanent things and ‘estar’ for temporary things ….

I shall explain why later but for now my top tip for the day is to ‘ignore the temporary / permanent rule!

Now to get started. So because there are two different verbs that

mean ‘to be’, that means that there are two different ways to say ‘I am’?

SOY = I AM & ESTOY = I AM (from the verb ser) (from the verb estar)

Firstly let’s look at how to use ‘soy’ (I am) from the verb ‘ser’.

Interestingly ‘ser’ comes from the Latin ‘esse’ which has the same root as the English word ‘essence’.

Use ‘soy’ (I am) from the verb ‘SER’ for characteristics

I’m tall.I’m tall.

Soy alto.Soy alta.

Spanish *adjectives usually have masculine and feminine versions.

To say that you’re tall, use ‘alto’ if you’re a boy and use ‘alta’ if you’re a girl.

Soy alto. I’m tall. Soy alta. I’m tall.

* An adjective is a describing word (adjectives that end in ‘e’ can usually be shared)

Use ‘soy’ (I am) from the verb ‘SER’ for identities.

I’m John. I’m Juanita.Soy Juan. Soy Juanita.

I’m Juanita’s Dad. I’m Juan’s daughter. Soy el papá de Juanita. Soy la hija de Juan.

Use ‘soy’ (I am) from ‘ser’ to define yourself.

I’m adventurous. I’m shy. I’m friendly.

Soy adventurero/a. Soy tímido/a. Soy *amigable.* because the adjective ‘amigable’ ends in an ‘e’ it is shared, boys and girls can both say ‘soy amigable’

Often your profession, gender or religion define who you are, so use ‘soy’ (I am) from ‘ser’ to describe your profession or gender

or to say which religion you belong to.

I am a teacher. I am a girl.

Soy maestra. Soy una chica.NB: Notice that for professions (and religions) the equivalent of the English ‘a’ is not used in Spanish.

Ie. I am ‘a’ teacher = ‘soy maestro’ (not ‘soy un maestro’), I am ‘a’ Catholic = ‘soy católico’ (not ‘soy un católico’)‘soy testigo de Jehová = I’m one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Soy maestro.Soy un chico.

I’m a teacher. I’m a boy

Ser memory aid C.I.D.

Use the verb ‘ser’ for ‘characteristics’, ‘identification’ and for ‘definitions’ (or classifications).

The other Spanish verb that means ‘to be’ is ‘estar’.

Estar comes from the Latin ‘stare’ which has the same root as the English word meaning ‘state’.

Use ‘estoy’ (I am) from the verb ‘estar’ to describe ‘states’ that you are in.

Estoy occupada. Estoy cansado.

I’m busy. I’m tired.

MORE MASCULINE & FEMININE ADJECTIVES

BUSY

If you’re a boy say ‘occupado’ and if you’re a girl say ‘occupada’.

TIRED

If you’re a boy say ‘cansado’ and if you’re a girl say ‘cansada’.

Use ‘estoy’ (I am) from the verb ‘estar’ to describe an emotion that you’re feeling.

Estoy enojado. Estoy contenta.

I’m angry. I’m happy.

ANGRYIf you’re a boy say ‘enojado’ and if you’re a girl say ‘enojada’.

HAPPYIf you’re a boy say ‘contento’ and if you’re a girl say ‘contenta’.

Triste = Sad

Because the adjective ‘triste’ ends in an ‘e’ it can be shared, both boys and girls can say …

Estoy triste.I’m sad.

So what 2 words have we learnt to mean ‘I am’

That’s right ‘soy’ (from the verb ‘ser’) and ‘estoy’ from the verb ‘estar’) both mean ‘I am’.

Your choice of ‘ser’ or ‘estar’ can really change what you mean when it comes to adjectives.

Using ‘soy’ from the verb ‘ser’ lets your listener know that

you are referring to a characteristic ...

Soy aburrido. = I’m boring.

But using ‘estoy’ from the verb ‘estar’ lets your listener know that

you’re just referring to a statethat you’re in at that particular time …

Estoy aburrido. = I’m bored.

Soy gorda. = I’m fat.

Estoy gorda. = I look/seem fat.

In the following examples you can again see that ‘soy’ refers to a characteristic (being a fat person) whereas ‘estoy’ refers

to a state (seeming or looking fat at that moment).

Use ‘estoy’ from the verb ‘estar’ to describe actions that you’re doing right now.

Estoy escribiendo. Estoy comiendo.

I’m writing. I’m eating.

Escribiendo (writing) and comiendo (eating) are verbs not adjectives so their endings don’t change

depending on who is speaking, ie. they don’t have masculine and feminine forms.

Don’t let the ‘o’ ending fool you!

Use ‘estoy’ from the verb ‘estar’ for your location.

Estoy en Bolivia. Estoy en mi casa.

I’m in Bolivia. I’m at home.

Estar memory aid.

The ‘S.E.A.L.’ is thE STAR of the show!

Use the verb ‘estar’ for ‘states’ and ‘emotions’, for ‘actions’ and ‘locations’ of *people and things.

* Use ‘ser’ for the location of events.

Test your knowledge.Use ‘soy’ from ‘ser’ or ‘estoy’ from ‘estar’ to fill the gaps.

_____ enojada. I’m angry._____ gordo. I’m fat._____ triste. I’m sad._____ maestro. I’m a teacher._____ escribiendo una carta. I’m writing a letter._____ en casa.I’m at home._____ Pedro. I’m Peter.No ______ occupado. I’m not busy._____ una chica. I’m a girl.

How did you do?Use ‘soy’ from ‘ser’ or ‘estoy’ from ‘estar’ to fill the gaps.

Estoy enojada.ESTAR for emotion. I’m angry.Soy gordo. SER for characteristics. I’m a fat person.Estoy gordo. ESTAR for states. I’m (looking) fat.Estoy triste. ESTAR for emotions. I’m sad.Soy maestro. SER for identity. I’m a teacher. Estoy escribiendo ESTAR for actions. I’m writing a letter.

una carta.Estoy en casa. ESTAR for locations. I’m at home.Soy Pedro. SER for identity. I’m Peter. No estoy occupado. ESTAR for states. I’m not busy.Soy una chica. SER for definitions I’m a girl.

Well done!

Are you ready to move on to Part 2?

The complete English verb ‘to be’ looks like this in the present tense.

I am, you are, he is, she is, we are, they are

The words below marked in red are called personal pronouns.

I am, you are, he is, she is, we are, they are

These are the basic ones …

yo = Iél = he

ella = shenosotros = we

ellos = they

There are a few extra personal pronouns in Spanish.

And then you have these extra ones:

Firstly, there are 5 different ways to say ‘you’.

tú = informal ‘you’ (for people that you’re on a first name basis with)

vosotros (m) / vosotras (f) = plural, informal ‘you’ (only used in Spain)

usted = formal you (for people that you’d use the titles Mr or Mrs with)

ustedes = plural, formal you (used in Latin America for any plural you)

When would you use the plural ‘you’?

Let’s say you were speaking to a group of people and wanted to say ‘do you (all) want to come to the movies?’ rather than ‘do you (just one person) want to come to the movies? – then you

would use a plural ‘you’.

And finally there are two extra feminine pronouns.

nosotras = (fem) we

ellas = (fem) they

Use them if the people you are referring to are all females.

NB: there is a chart at the end of the lesson that lists all the pronouns and their meanings

More pronouns but used less frequently

In Spanish the verb conjugation usually lets the listener/reader know exactly who is doing the action, so the pronoun is often unnecessary and will be omitted.

Eg. ‘Soy’ can only mean ‘I am’ so a native speaker will rarely say ‘yo’ soy (except for emphasis).

On the other hand the other subjects share a verb conjugation.

‘Es’ from the verb ‘ser’ could mean ‘he is’, ‘she is’ or ‘you are’ so the appropriate pronoun would likely be used to remove any ambiguity, eg. él es, ella es or usted es.

Pronouns not usually necessary Pronouns often needed

the ‘yo’ form soy = I am the ‘él’ form él es = he isthe ‘tú’ form eres = you are the ‘ella’ form ella es = she isthe ‘nosotros’ form somos = we are the ‘usted’ form usted es = you arethe ‘vosotros’ form sois = you (pl.) are the ‘ellos’ form ellos son = they arethe ‘ustedes’ form ustedes son = you (pl.) are

But enough about pronouns …

Where were we with the verb ‘to be’?

As you now know, in Spanish there are two verbs that mean ‘to be’

You’ve learnt that ‘soy’ comes from the verb ‘ser’ and means ‘I am’.

SER for characteristics, to identify or define.

Here is how you use ‘ser’ for other people as well as yourself, in the present tense.

soy = I ameres = you are

él es = he isella es = she is

usted es = you aresomos = we are

ellos son = they aresois = you (pl.) are

ustedes son = you (pl.) are

*‘Sois’, being the ‘vosotros’ form, is used only in Spain

Here is the a verb chart for ‘ser’ in the present tense.

yo soy I am nosotros somos we are

tú eres you are vosotros sois you (pl.) are

él, ella, usted

eses

s/he is you are

ellosustedes

sonson

they are you (pl.) are

Remember that some of the pronouns (in red) are optional (especially ‘yo’, ‘tú’ and ‘vosotros’ (used only in Spain) and ‘nosotros’.

The other Spanish verb that you’ve learnt which means ‘to be’ is ‘estar’.

And you’re already familiar with ‘estoy’ meaning ‘I am’ from the verb ‘estar’.

ESTAR is used for states, emotions, actions and locations.

This is how you use ‘estar’ for other people, as well as for yourself, in the present tense.

estoy = I amestás = you areél está = he is

ella está = she isusted está = you are

estamos = we areestáis = you (pl. informal) are

ellos están = they areustedes están = you (pl. formal) are

Here’s the verb chart for ‘estar’ in the present tense.

yo estoy I am nosotros estamos we are

tú estás you are vosotros estáis you (pl.) are

él, ella, usted

estáestá

s/he is you are

ellosustedes

están están

they are you (pl.) are

And once again, some of the pronouns (in red) are optional (especially ‘yo’, ‘tú’, vosotros (used only in Spain) and nosotros.

So how about some practice?Fill the gaps with the correct personal pronouns:

(Look back at the red sections on the verb charts if you need to.)

_____ I_____ You (informal)_____ He_____ She_____ You (singular, formal)_____ We_____ They_____ You (plural informal if you’re in Spain)_____ You (plural)

Now to practice using ‘ser’ and ‘estar’.

How would you say?

We are eating.He is boring.

You (tú) are friendly.I am bored.

They are adventurous.You (pl.) are tired.

She is tall.He is (looking) fat.

She is (a) fat (person).

Did you say?

We are eating. Estamos comiendo.He is boring. Él es aburrido.You are friendly. Eres amigable.I am bored. Estoy aburrida.They are adventurous. Ellos son adventureros.You (pl.) are tired. Ustedes están cansados.She is tall. Ella es alta.He is (looking) fat. Él está gordo.She is (a) fat (person). Ella es gorda.

If you did, then ¡bien hecho! (well done!)

Bien hecho!Well done, so now you should understand the concept of how to use ‘ser’ and ‘estar’,

the two Spanish verbs that mean ‘to be’.

This represents great progress and will be a big step in your journey of learning Spanish.

Now just one more thing before you go ….

Permanent / Temporary

Now I did promise to explain why you should ignore the permanent / temporary theory when it comes to ser and estar. So let’s do

that with some examples.

Fill the gaps with the correct form of ser or estar.

Mi abuelito _____ muerto.My grandad is dead.

_____ estudiante.I’m a student.

La reunión _____ en mi oficina.The meeting is in my office.

Paris _____ en Francia.Paris is in France.

Juanita ____ menor de edad Juanita is underage.

How did you do?

If you followed the so-called permanent/temporary rule you would have got them all wrong. The correct answers are as follows …

Mi abuelito está muerto. My grandad is dead.

Soy estudiante. I’m a student.

La reunión es en mi oficina. The meeting is in my office.

Paris está en Francia. Paris is in France.

Juanita es menor de edad Juanita is underage.

So hopefully these examples illustrate that although the permanent/temporary pseudo-rule does sometimes seem to work out it won’t always and there are better

approaches such as ‘C.I.D.’ and ‘S.E.A.L.’.

Would you like to speed up the learning process?

Practice makes perfect so it takes a while to use ser and estar naturally.If you would like to speed up the process here are some suggestions:

Listen as much as you can to native speakers to see how they use these verbs.

Read authentic texts (written by native speakers), kids books are a great start.

Watch movies in Spanish and listen to Spanish music.

All of this will help you to become fluent in no time!