Ser vs. Estar
If you’re learning Spanish, you’ve probably asked yourself this question more than once: “Do I use ser or estar?” Both mean “to be,” but they are used in different situations.
Here’s a simple way to think about this:
Ser = WHAT someone or something is.
Estar = HOW or WHERE someone or something is
Of course, Spanish loves exceptions, so let’s look at some common uses.
We use “ser” to talk about identity, nationality, professions, relationships, origin, and characteristics.
Soy guatemalteca.
Él es médico.
Somos amigos.
La casa es grande.
El café es colombiano.
We also use ser for time, dates, and events:
Son las tres.
Hoy es lunes.
La fiesta es el sábado.
La clase es en mi casa.
We use estar to talk about feelings, temporary conditions, and location.
Estoy cansada.
Ella está feliz.
El café está caliente.
Las llaves están en la mesa.
Estamos en Guatemala.
Some adjectives change meaning if used with "ser" or "estar". Here are some examples:
Juan es aburrido. (Juan is boring.)
Juan está aburrido. (Juan is bored.)
Él es listo. (He is clever.)
Él está listo. (He is ready.)
La comida es buena. (The food is good.)
La comida está buena. (The food tastes good.)
So, besides thinking of ser as permanent and estar as temporary, remember ser describes identity or characteristics, and estar describes a state, condition, or location.
Exercise 1:
Exercise 2:
Exercise 3:
Ready to practice ser vs. estar?
Get our Ser vs. Estar Program!
The best way to master language is by using it as much as you can. Our program includes examples, explanations and self-checking exercises. At your own pace. The more you practice, the more naturally you'll become!
Ready to practice ser vs. estar in Conversation?
Book a session!
Let's practice ser v.s estar together! tell me about your characteristics, personal information, your mood, etc. Get answers to your questions and personalized feedback!
Comments