Ser/Estar
For the English word „to be“ there are two translations in Spanish, ser and estar. In this unit, you will learn in which cases each verb is used. In general, it can be said that ser is mainly used to describe permanent qualities, professions, and relationships. Estar, on the other hand, is used more for temporary states.
Before you learn the use cases of the two verbs in detail, see below how they are conjugated in the most important tenses.
SER
| Subject | Presente | Imperfecto | Indefinido | Futuro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | soy | era | fui | seré |
| tú | eres | eras | fuiste | serás |
| él | es | era | fue | será |
| nosotros | somos | éramos | fuimos | seremos |
| vosotros | sois | erais | fuisteis | seréis |
| ellos | son | eran | fueron | serán |
ESTAR
| Subject | Presente | Imperfecto | Indefinido | Futuro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | estoy | estaba | estuve | estaré |
| tú | estás | estabas | estuviste | estarás |
| él/ella/usted | está | estaba | estuvo | estará |
| nosotros | estamos | estábamos | estuvimos | estaremos |
| vosotros | estáis | estabais | estuvisteis | estaréis |
| ellos | están | estaban | estuvieron | estarán |
Below are the different use cases of each verb with some examples.
Ser
- Definitions and identification (permanent properties and affiliations like nationality, religion…)
Yo soy Ignacio. (I am Ignacio.)
Es un hombre de 26 años. (He is a 26 year old man.)
- Appearance and character traits
Example:
Sebastián es muy alto. (Sebastián is very tall.)
Sara es muy simpática. (Sara is very sympathetic.)
- Family and other personal relationships
Example:
Nosotros somos amigos. (We are friends.)
Miguel es mi hermano. (Miguel is my brother.)
- Profession
Example:
Esteban es bombero. (Esteban is a firefighter.)
- Where/when something takes place
Example:
El partido es en Berlín. (The match is in Berlin.)
La reunión es el jueves. (The meeting is on Thursday.)
- Indication of day/date/season/time
Example:
Hoy es lunes. (Today is Monday.)
Hoy es 25 de Marzo. (Today is March 25.)
Es verano. (It’s summer.)
Son las siete en punto. (It is 7 o’clock.)
- Progressive passive
Example:
La comida es preparada por el chef. (The food is being prepared by the chef.)
- Material, affiliation, origin (with the preposition de)
Example:
El anillo es de oro. (The ring is made of gold.)
El juguete es de mi hermana. (The toy is from my sister.)
El señor es de Lima. (The man comes from Lima.)
- In connection with time adverbs
Example:
En Santiago de Chile ya es noche. (In Santiago de Chile it is already nighttime.)
- With the preposition para to indicate recipient or purpose
Example:
Ese anillo es para mi novia. (This ring is for my girlfriend.)
Esa aplicación es para practicar español. (This application is for practicing Spanish.)
- Price quotation
Example:
Son 14 Euros. (It is 14 Euros.)
Estar
- Temporary property (state of mind, health condition, appearance)
Example:
María está preocupada por el examen. (Maria is worried because of the exam.)
Danilo está un poco enfermo. (Danilo is a little sick.)
Yo estoy muy moreno. (I am very tanned.)
- Where something is located
Example:
La estación está en el centro. (The station is in the center.)
- How someone/something seems
Example:
Mi abuela de 84 años está muy joven. (My 84-year-old grandmother is very young.)
- Marital status
Example:
Estoy soltero. (I’m single.)
Estoy casado. (I’m married.)
But: Soy viudo. (I’m widowed.)
- Day/date/time of year (but not time) in the 1st person plural (with preposition a/en)
Example:
Estamos a lunes. (We are on Monday.)
Estamos a 13 de Julio. (We are on July 13.)
Estamos en otoño. (We are in autumn.)
- State passive
Example:
La comida ya está preparada. (The food is prepared already.)
- The way in which something was produced
Example:
El anillo está fabricado en oro. (The ring is manufactured in gold.)
El juguete está hecho de papel. (The toy is made of paper.)
El anillo está bañado en plata. (The ring is silver plated.)
- In connection with modal adverbs
Example:
Está bien irse de vacaciones una vez al año. (It’s good to go on vacation once a year.)
- with the preposition de + noun, to express states or situations
Example:
Jorge está de mal humor. (Jorge is in a bad mood.)
Sebastián está de camarero en Mallorca ahora. (Sebastian is now working as a waiter in Mallorca.)
- Price quotation (question about the instantaneous price)
Example:
El kilo está a 7 euros. (The kilo is at 7 euros.)
- Temporal progressive form: estar + gerundio
Example:
Estamos jugando al tenis. (We are playing tennis.)
