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- Ser and estar: two verbs for to be
Ser and estar: two verbs for to be
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Spanish has two verbs meaning "to be". Choosing the right one is a key skill for GCSE.
Estar
When to use each
Ser for what something is: identity, description, personality, nationality, origin, jobs, time.
Soy alto. Es española. Somos de Londres. Mi madre es profesora. Son las tres.
Estar for where something is and how someone is feeling right now.
Madrid está en España. Estoy cansado (tired). Está contenta (happy). ¿Cómo estás?
Soy alto. Es española. Somos de Londres. Mi madre es profesora. Son las tres.
Estar for where something is and how someone is feeling right now.
Madrid está en España. Estoy cansado (tired). Está contenta (happy). ¿Cómo estás?
Same adjective, different meaning
Es aburrido. = He is boring (his personality).
Está aburrido. = He is bored (right now).
Es nervioso. = He is a nervous person. Está nervioso. = He is nervous (today, before an exam).
Está aburrido. = He is bored (right now).
Es nervioso. = He is a nervous person. Está nervioso. = He is nervous (today, before an exam).
Choose ser or estar: My sister ___ tall but today she ___ tired.
- Tall is a description: es alta.
- Tired is a feeling now: está cansada.
Answer: Mi hermana es alta pero hoy está cansada.
Ser (soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son) for identity, description, origin, jobs and time. Estar (estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están) for location and feelings or states.
The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.
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