Key points about the verb 'to be' in Spanish
The verbs Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. and Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. both mean 'to be'.
Ser is used with permanent things.
Estar is used with temporary things.
Adjectives can change their meaning according to whether ser or estar is used.
Video - The verb 'to be' in Spanish
Watch the video below to learn how to use the verbs ser and estar.
The verbs 'ser' and 'estar' are used in different ways
The verb 'to be' in Spanish.
In Spanish, there are two verbs for 鈥榯o be鈥: ser and estar and you use them for different things.
The verb ser goes like this:
soy - I am
eres - you are
es - he/she/it is
You can use it for describing people: soy alto (鈥業鈥檓 tall鈥) or es deportiva (鈥榮he is sporty鈥).
You can also use ser if you're talking about where you or someone else is from.
驴De d贸nde eres? - Where are you from?
Soy de Espa帽a - I鈥檓 from Spain.
And to talk about what you do: soy estudiante - I鈥檓 a student.
Mi padre es enfermero - My dad is a nurse.
Then there鈥檚 estar, the other Spanish verb for 鈥榯o be鈥:
estoy - I am
别蝉迟谩蝉 - you are
别蝉迟谩 - he/she/it is
You can use estar to talk about feelings:
How are you? - 驴C贸mo 别蝉迟谩蝉?
Estoy feliz - I鈥檓 happy.
Or to talk about where people or things are located.
Estoy en Londres - I鈥檓 in London.
Excuse me, where is the cinema? - Perdona, 驴d贸nde 别蝉迟谩 el cine?
You can also use it to talk about the condition something or someone is in:
My phone is broken - Mi m贸vil 别蝉迟谩 roto.
Those are the main differences between ser and estar so it鈥檚 great to know which one you need when!
How to conjugate 'ser' and 'estar'
The two verbs are A verb that is not in the infinitive form but has been changed to match the subject of the verb, for example I go, he goes. as follows:
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - to be | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - to be |
|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - I am | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - I am |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - you are | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - you are |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - he/she is | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - he/she is |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - we are | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - we are |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - you (plural) are | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - you (plural) are) |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - they are | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - they are |
When to use 'ser'
The verb ser (to be) should be used for permanent things.
- Talking about nationalities
For example:
Somos galeses. - We are Welsh.
- Saying someone鈥檚 name or say who someone is in relation to you
For example:
Julia es mi hermana. - Julia is my sister.
- Talking about someone鈥檚 job
For example:
Mis madre es enfermera. - My mum is a nurse.
- Describing the physical characteristics of a person or thing
For example:
Soy alto - I鈥檓 tall.
- Describing someone鈥檚 personality
For example:
Eres muy amable. - You鈥檙e very kind.
When to use 'estar'
Estar also means 鈥榯o be鈥 and is used when talking about temporary things and locations.
- Talking about things that might change in the future
For example:
Estoy enferma. - I鈥檓 ill.
Est谩 triste hoy. - He鈥檚 sad today.
- Talking about where someone or something is
For example:
Mi casa 别蝉迟谩 enfrente del cine. - My house is opposite the cinema.
Estamos en casa. - We鈥檙e at home.
The verb 'to be' in Spanish - Mini quiz
Fill in the gap to complete this sentence:
______ en Escocia.
We are in Scotland.
Estamos en Escocia.
Use estar as the sentence describes a location.
Fill in the gap to complete this sentence:
Sus ojos ___ azules.
His eyes are blue.
Sus ojos son azules.
Use ser as eye colour describes someone鈥檚 physical characteristics.
Adjectives with 'ser' and 'estar'
Some adjectives can change their meaning depending on whether ser or estar is used with them. Here are some common ones with both meanings:
| Adjective | Ser meaning | Ser example | Estar meaning | Estar example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | clever, intelligent | Es listo. (He is clever.) | ready | Est谩 listo. (He is ready.) |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | good | Jorge es bueno. (Jorge is good.) | Attractive | Jorge 别蝉迟谩 bueno. (Jorge is attractive.) |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | boring | Elena es aburrida. (Elena is boring.) | bored | Elena 别蝉迟谩 aburrida. (Elena is bored.) |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | bad | Antonio es malo. (Antonio is bad.) | ill | Antonio 别蝉迟谩 malo. (Antonio is ill.) |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | rich | El rey es muy rico. (The king is very rich.) | tasty | La comida 别蝉迟谩 rica. (The food is tasty.) |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | safe | Aqu铆 estoy segura. (Here I鈥檓 safe.) | sure | No estoy segura de si me gusta. (I鈥檓 not sure if I like it.) |
Quiz - The verb 'to be' in Spanish
Practise what you've learned about the verb 'to be' with this quiz.
Higher Tier - The adjective 'pesado' with 'ser' and 'estar'
The adjective pesado changes its meaning depending on whether it is used with ser or estar
| Adjective | Ser meaning | Ser example | Estar meaning | Estar example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | boring | El libro es pasado. (The book is boring.) | heavy | Est谩 bastante pesado. (It鈥檚 quite heavy.) |
Now you have learned about the verb 'to be' in Spanish why not explore infinitives in Spanish?
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