The Uses of Ser & Estar

If you need to recognize how to talk Spanish it is significant that you comprehend this topicof Spanish grammar. Although the verbs ser & estar are equal to the verb to be in English, the meanings & uses for ser & estar vary greatly in Spanish. In an attempt to clearup the congruous uses for these 2 verbs, this lesson explains the uses for every verb, & how they differ.

Ser (to be)

Before we explicate the another uses for ser, let’s retrospect the conjugations for ser in the present & imperfect tenses.

Present Tense:

Yo soy (I am) nosotros somos (we are)

t eres (you are) ellos son (they are)

l es (he is) ellas son (they are)

ella es (she is) ustedes son (they are)

usted es (you are)

Imperfect Tense:

Yo epoch (I used to be, was) nosotros ramos (we used to be, were)

t eras (you used to be, were) ellos eran (they used to be, were)

l epoch (he was) ellas eran (they used to be, were)

ella epoch (she used to be, were) ustedes eran (you used to be, were)

usted epoch (you used to be, were)

Uses for Ser:

The most significant factor that ought be realized about ser is that it embodies the prospect of the verb to be that it is definite, permanent, unchangeable, or inherent. Because of this, in Spanish ser is used to delineate persons, professions, personality aspects, time, & nationalities.

Each fastidious use for ser is explicated below:

a. To express a person, place, or thing’s physical trait, personality, nationality, profession, or inherent condition.

Physical traits of folks & objects:

Jorge es alto. (Jorge is tall.)

Doris epoch flaca. (Doris was skinny.)

La madre de Juan es bonita. (Juanita’s mom is pretty.)

La catedral es grande y vieja. (The cathedral is huge & old.)

Lima es una ciudad Peruana. (Lima is a Peruvian city.)

La manzana es roja. (The apple is red.)

Don Julio ya no es joven. Es anciano.

(Mr. Julio is no longer young. He is a senior citizen.)

Nationality/Citizenship:

Yo soy Colombiana. (I am Colombian.)

Tomasina epoch Dominicana. (Tomasina was Dominican/was a Dominican citizen.)

l es hispano. (He is latino.)

Personality traits:

Juan y Carla son inteligentes. (Juan & Carla are intelligent.)

Los muchachos eran tmidos. (The boys were timid.)

Mariana epoch humilde. (Mariana was humble.)

T eres honesta. (You are honest.)

Professions:

Tulia es una doctora famosa. (Tulia is a notable doctor.)

Mi abuelo epoch alcalde. (My grandfather was mayor.)

Ellos son profesores. (They are professors.)

Somos choferes. (We are drivers.)

ramos choferes, pero ahora somos gerentes.

(We were drivers, but nowadays we are managers.)

b. Ser is as well used to express possession or the ancestry of an item. With this fastidious use, the verb ser is generally followed by de (of).

For example:

Este reloj es de Inglaterra. (This see is from England.)

El cuaderno es de Raquel. (The notebook is Raquel’s.)

La computadora de Roberto es de Alemania. (Roberto’s electronic is from Germany.)

c. Ser is all of the time used to express the time. For example:

Qu hora es? (What time is it?)

Son las siete y cuarto. (It is seven fifteen.)

d. Ser is as well used for public impartial expressions in Spanish corresponding to time.

For example:

Es tarde. (It is late.)

Es temprano. (It is early.)

Es de noche. (It is night.)

Estar (to be)

In Spanish, the verb estar is used to express what is more temporary, & adjustable compared to ser.

Let’s retrospect the conjugations for estar in the present & imperfect tenses:

Present Tense:

Yo estoy (I am) nosotros estmos (we are)

t ests (you are) ellos estn (they are)

l est (he is) ellas estn (they are)

ella est (she is) ustedes estn (they are)

usted est (you are)

Imperfect Tense:

Yo estaba (I used to be, was) nosotros estbamos (we used to be, were)

t estabas (you used to be, were) ellos estaban (they used to be, were)

l estaba (he was) ellas estaban (they used to be, were)

ella estaba (she used to be, were) ustedes estaban (you used to be, were)

usted estaba (you used to be, were)

Uses for Estar:

Compared to the permanence expressed in ser, estar is used to express situations, aspects, & traits that might alter at any time.

Each fastidious use for estar is explicated below:

a. To express feelings or emotions for a fastidious moment.

Juan Carlos est feliz hoy. (Juan Carlos is amused today.)

Yo estoy satisfecha con mi trabajo. (I am satisfied with my job.)

Marta estaba triste cuando habl con ella. (Marta was unhappy when I talked with her.)

*It ought be noted that in the above examples, the use of estar stresses the temporal temper of the emotions described. However, whenever one needs to delineate a person’s temper as being happy, or sad, the verb ser is then used; since it reflects a more ageless personality trait.

For example, the above exemplar might alter from:

Juan Carlos est feliz hoy. (Juan Carlos is amused today.)

to:

Juan Carlos es una character feliz. (Juan Carlos is a amused person.)

b. To express a temporary or unintentional prospect of a person, place, or thing that may change.

This includes one’s say of health.

El caf est frio. (The coffee is cold.)

Marcos est en el parque. (Marcos is in the park.)

Mi cuaderno est en la escuela. (My notebook is at school.)

Milagros est enferma. (Milagros is sick.)

Cmo est usted? (How are you?)

c. To express location.

Dnde est el museo? (Where is the museum?)

El museo est en la Calle Federal. (The museum is on Federal Street.)

Dnde est el banco? (Where is the bank?)

El banco est lejos de aqu. (The camber is distant from here.)

Now that we have examined the another uses for ser & estar, let’s attempt a couple of exercises.

Translate the following into Spanish. The replies abide by the exercise.

1. Pablo is intelligent.

2. The water is hot.

3. Where are the children?

4. We were good students.

5. It is twelve noon.

6. We are really amused today.

7. They are Mexican.

8. They are in Mexico.

9. She is in the hospital.

10. The hospital is in San Diego.

1. Pablo es inteligente.

2. El agua est caliente.

3. Dnde estn los nios?

4. ramos estudiantes buenos.

5. Son las doce del medio da.

6. Estamos contentos hoy.

7. Ellos son Mexicanos.

8. Ellos estn en Mxico.

9. Ella est en el hospital.

10. El hospital est en San Diego.

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