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To be - ¿Ser o Estar?

4/3/2014

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Many people find it frustrating to understand the difference between Ser and Estar. Below is the present tense conjugation for the verb "to be" – Ser or Estar – in Spanish.


I am

You are      
He/she is                  
We are 
You are (plural)
They are 

SER

Yo soy
Tu eres
El/Ella es
Nosotros somos 
Vosotros sois
Ellos son
ESTAR

Yo estoy
Tu estás 
El/Ella está
Nosotros estamos
Vosotros estáis
Ellos están


Our explanation should help you understand the differences are between Ser and Estar. We have summarised the general rules below!

SER:

Ser is used for: time, origin, description, characteristic, occupation and relationship.

Time: Mañana es la boda de su hermana. Tomorrow is her sister's wedding.
Origin: Los profesores son de España. The teachers are from Spain.
Description: Soy alto. I’m tall.
Characteristic: Su padre es extrovertido. His father is outgoing.
Ocupation: Eres estudiante de Español. You are a Spanish student.
Relationship: Vosotros sois mis familiares. You are all my relatives.

ESTAR:

Estar is used for: emotion, position, location, action and condition.

Emotion: Estáis contentos con los resultados. You are happy with the results.
Position: Ellos están sentados en el banco. They are seated on the bench.
Location: El coche está en el garaje. The car is in the garage.
Action: Tus amigos están corriendo en el parque. Your friends are running in the park.
Condition: Hoy no estoy enfermo. Today I’m not ill.


EXCEPTIONS:

Ser:
Religion: Mi novio es muy religioso. My boyfiend is very religious.
Location for events: El festival es en el norte de la ciudad. The festival is in the north of the city.

Estar:
Death: Su abuelo está muerto. His grandfather is dead.

Some words can be used with both Ser and Estar. However, depending on the verb they take on different meanings. See examples below.

SER

ser aburrido
ser bueno 
ser cansado 
ser grave 
ser listo 
ser malo 
ser orgulloso 
ser moreno 
ser pálido 
ser pesado 
ser rico 
ser seguro 
ser verde 
ser viejo 
ser vivo


to be boring 

to be good 
to be a tiring person to be serious 
to be clever 
to be bad 
to be conceited or vain 
to be dark-skinned 
to be pale skinned 
to be heavy 
to be rich 
to be safe 
to be green 
to be old 
to be sharp
ESTAR

estar aburrido
estar bueno
estar cansado 
estar grave 
estar listo 
estar malo 
estar orgulloso
estar moreno 
estar pálido 
estar pesado 
estar rico 
estar seguro 
estar verde 
estar viejo 
estar vivo


to be bored

to be tasty/attractive 
to be tired
to be seriously ill 
to be ready 
to be ill 
to be proud 
to be tanned 
to be pale 
to be tiresome 
to be tasty 
to be certain 
to be unripe 
to look old
to be alive
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    Manuel Alvarez

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