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Ser vs. Estar

CEFR A1 · Lesson 5 of 11

Spanish has two verbs for “to be” — and picking the right one is one of the first real hurdles for beginners. Here's how to tell them apart, for good.

Both ser and estar translate as "to be" in English, but Spanish uses them for different kinds of "being."

  • SER — identity, characteristics, origin, profession, material, time and dates. Things that define what something is.
  • ESTAR — location, temporary states and conditions, feelings, and ongoing actions. Things that describe how or where something is right now.
Present tense conjugation
SubjectSerEstar
yosoyestoy
túeresestás
él / ella / ustedesestá
nosotrossomosestamos
vosotrossoisestáis
ellos / ellas / ustedessonestán

Ser in action

Soy profesor.I am a teacher. — profession
Ella es de México.She is from Mexico. — origin
Son las tres.It's three o'clock. — time
La mesa es de madera.The table is made of wood. — material

Estar in action

Estoy cansado.I am tired. — temporary state
El café está caliente.The coffee is hot. — temporary condition
Madrid está en España.Madrid is in Spain. — location
Estoy estudiando.I am studying. — action in progress
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Quick trick: if you can replace "is" with "is located" or "is feeling right now," reach for estar. If it describes what something fundamentally, permanently is, reach for ser.

Practice

Check your understanding

1.Ana ___ muy simpática.

2.Hoy ___ un día especial.

3.La puerta ___ abierta.

4.Nosotros ___ de Argentina.

5.Yo ___ estudiando español.

6.Mis padres ___ médicos.

7.¿Cómo ___ tú hoy?

8.El libro ___ sobre la mesa.

9.Hoy ___ lunes.

10.Ellos ___ (estar) muy cansados hoy.

← Previous lesson Articles & Gender Next lesson → Personal Pronouns

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