Ser and estar
Spanish has two verbs for 'to be' — ser for what something IS, estar for where it is or how it feels.
Ser: identity, origin and permanent traits
You use ser for things that are (more or less) permanent or form the core of something/someone:
- identity / profession: Soy profesora. (I am a teacher.)
- origin / nationality: Soy de Bélgica. (I am from Belgium.)
- inherent traits: Ella es inteligente. (She is intelligent.)
- time and date: Son las tres. (It's three o'clock.)
- material / ownership: La mesa es de madera. (The table is made of wood.)
Ser is irregular; memorize its forms.
| ser | |
|---|---|
| yo | soy |
| tú | eres |
| él / ella / usted | es |
| nosotros/as | somos |
| vosotros/as | sois |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | son |
Examples
Estar: location, temporary state and the gerund
You use estar for things that are changeable or relate to location:
- location: Madrid está en España. (Madrid is in Spain.) / Estoy en casa. (I am at home.)
- temporary state or feeling: Estoy cansado. (I am tired.) / La sopa está fría. (The soup is cold.)
- action in progress (estar + gerund, -ando/-iendo): Estoy comiendo. (I am eating.)
Estar is also irregular, especially in yo and the stress of the other forms.
| estar | |
|---|---|
| yo | estoy |
| tú | estás |
| él / ella / usted | está |
| nosotros/as | estamos |
| vosotros/as | estáis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | están |
Examples
Same adjective, different meaning
Some adjectives change meaning depending on ser or estar:
- Es aburrido (He/it is boring — a permanent trait) vs. Está aburrido (He is bored — a temporary feeling).
- Es listo (He is smart) vs. Está listo (He is ready).
- Es rico (He is rich) vs. Está rico (It is delicious, about food).
- Es malo (He is bad/mean — character) vs. Está malo (He is sick — temporary).
Examples
Rule of thumb: PLACE/state vs. essence
A handy mnemonic: estar is often about place and temporary things (think of the English acronym PLACE: Position, Location, Action, Condition, Emotion). ser is about what something/someone fundamentally is: identity, origin, time, material, profession, character.
When in doubt: can you add 'right now' or 'currently' without it sounding odd? Then it's probably estar. Is it a permanent trait? Then it's ser.
Examples
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Related grammar
← The present tense (regular)Tener, haber and hay →
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