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Ser and estar
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Spanish has two verbs for 'to be'. Choosing the right one is one of the most tested skills.
Ser
For what something is: identity, nationality, origin, personality, physical description, jobs, time and dates.
Soy de Escocia. Es alto. Mi madre es profesora. Es lunes. Son las tres.
Present: soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son.
Soy de Escocia. Es alto. Mi madre es profesora. Es lunes. Son las tres.
Present: soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son.
Estar
For location and temporary states or feelings.
Madrid está en España. Estoy cansado. Mi hermana está enferma.
Also for the present continuous: Estoy comiendo.
Present: estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están.
Madrid está en España. Estoy cansado. Mi hermana está enferma.
Also for the present continuous: Estoy comiendo.
Present: estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están.
Meaning changes
Some adjectives change meaning.
Translate: I am bored because the film is boring.
- I am bored: a state, so estoy aburrido (or aburrida)
- the film is boring: a characteristic, so es aburrida (película is feminine)
Answer: Estoy aburrido porque la película es aburrida.
Ser: identity, origin, description, jobs, time. Estar: location, temporary states, feelings, and estar + gerund. Aburrido / listo / malo change meaning.
The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.
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