Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Foreign Language
Spanish

1st
2nd
3rd

estoy
ests
est

estamo
estis
estn

To address an essential quality, use ser. Ser is also

Ser and Estar
irregular and must be memorized.
Ser and estar can both be translated as "to be." Here
ser
is the English verb, fully conjugated:
Singular
Plural
st
to be
1
soy
somos
1st
I am
we are 2nd
eres
sois
rd
2nd
you are
you-all 3are
es
son
3rd
he/she is
they are
If you are talking about what something is, use ser;
Notice that these two sentences can have different
if you are talking about how something is, use estar.
meanings in English.
Question: What is she like?
The apple is green.
(Meaning the
apple isShe
notisripe.)
Answer:
quiet.
The apple is green.
(Meaning the
color
of
the
apple
is green.)
Use ser:
Ella es cal

In the first case, our example speaks of the

Question: How is she acting?
condition of the apple. The apple is green because it
Answer: She is being quiet.
has not yet ripened. When the condition of the apple
Use estar:
Ella est c
changes, that is, when it has ripened, it will no
longer be green, it will be ripe.
Lesson examines some common uses for the verb
In the second case, our example speaks of the
ser.
essential characteristics of the apple. The apple is
1. Ser is used to express the hour, day, and date.
green in color. This particular apple remains green
Qu hora es?
What time is it?
even after it has ripened.
Son las dos.
It's two o'clock.
In English, the verb "to be" can be used to tell how
Qu da es hoy?
What day is today?
something is (the condition) and what something is
Hoy es lunes.
Today's Monday.
(the essence).
Qu fecha es hoy?
What's the date today?
How is the apple?
It is unripe.
Es el cinco de mayo.
It's May fifth.
What color is the apple?
It is green.
2. Ser is used to express place of origin.
In Spanish, a different verb is used to express "to
De dnde eres t?
be" depending on whether the speaker intends to
Soy de Colombia.
address a condition or an essential quality.
La manzana est verde.
The apple is green. (condition)
3. Ser is used to express occupation.
La manzana es verde.
The apple is green. (essence)
Cul es tu trabajo?
Soy carpintero
Note how the adjective "verde" actually changes
meaning, depending upon whether it is used with
4. Ser is used to express nationality.
ser or estar.
Es ella puertorriquea?
La manzana est verde.
(condition: verde = unripe)
No, es guatemalteca.
La manzana es verde.
(essential characteristic: verde = color green)
5. Ser is used to express religious or political
To address condition, use estar. Estar is an irregular
affiliation.
verb. It does not follow the standard rules of
Son los Garca bautistas?
conjugation for regular -ar verbs. Therefore, you
No, son catlicos.
must memorize it.
estar
Singular
Plural Es el gobierno socialista?

Where are
I'm from C

What do y
I'm a carpe

Is she Pu
No, she's

Are the Ga
No, they're

Is the gove

Estar is used with many idiomatic expressions.

No, it's communist.
These are just a few.
estar de acuerdo
6. Ser is used to express the material something is
made of.
estar de pie
De qu material es la mesa?
What's theestar
tableenmade
camino
of?
Es de madera.
It's made estar
of wood.
en las nubes
No, es comunista.

to be in agr
to be standi
to be on the
to daydream

7. Ser is used to express possession.

De quin es la pluma?
Es de Emilio.

Estar is used with the progressive tenses. You will

Whose penlearn
is it?more about this usage later. We present it now
simply because it is an important use of the verb
It's Emilio's.
estar.
Qu ests comiendo?
8. Ser is used to express the relationship of one
Estoy comiendo arroz y frijoles.
person to another.
Quin es Rogelio?
Who is Roger?
Ser and
Estar
Es el esposo de Marta.
He's Martha's
husband.
When the verb "to be" is followed by a noun, the
verb ser is always used. In this instance, it might be
9. Ser is used with certain impersonal expressions.
helpful
to think every
of the day.
verb as equivalent to an
Es importante practicar cada da.
It's important
to practice
"equal"
sign,
such
as
a
= b. This type of sentence is
Es necesario hablar mucho.
It's necessary to speak a lot.
always referring to essential characteristics, since
the verb is "linking" what comes before the verb to
10. Ser is used to tell where an event is taking
what comes after the verb.
place.
John
a doctor.
La pelcula es en el cine.
The movie
is atisthe
theatre.
Juan
es
medico.
La fiesta es en el club Fantstico.
The party is in the Fantastic Club.

W
I

John

When the verb "to be" is followed by an adjective,

11. Ser is used with adjectives to express inherent,
the verb used depends upon the meaning. When
or essential qualities.
referring
to an essential characteristic, use ser.
Miguel es un hombre sincero.
Mike is a sincere
man.
When
referring
to a state or condition, use estar.
Tambin es guapo.
He's also handsome.
La sopa est fra.
The soup i
Los
elefantes
son
grandes.
The elepha
Estar is used to express geographic or physical
locations.
When
the verb "to be" is followed by an adjective,
Dnde ests?
Where
are you?
can actually change the meaning of the
Estoy en el laboratorio.
I'm inthe
theverb
laboratory.
adjective.
Dnde est Chile?
Where's Chile?
aburrido.
The profes
Chile est en Amrica del Sur.
ChileElisprofesor
in South est
America.
El profesor es aburrido.
The profes
Note: The one exception to this rule is that ser is
used to tell where an event is taking place. (La
fiesta es en mi casa.)
Estar is used with adjectives to express a state or
condition ("how" something is).
Cmo est la sopa?
La sopa est fra.
Cmo ests t?
Estoy muy bien, gracias.

Let's distinguish between origin, location, and "to

take place." To describe origin, or where something
is from, use ser. To describe location, or where
something is located right now, use estar. To tell
where
an event is taking place, use ser.
How's
the soup?
Mnica
es de Espaa. (origin)
The soup
is cold.
Mnica
How are you?est en Venezuela. (location)
fiesta
en la casa de Mnica. (taking place)
I am La
very
well,esthanks.