Ser and Estar Flashcards
means “to be” in the sense of “to exist”
Ser
Its primary function is to establish identity between the subject and the noun, a pronoun, or an infinitive used as a noun, in order to indicate who someone is or what something is.
Ser
Los chimpnacés ___el tema de la lectura.
Ser (son). The chimpanzees are the theme of the reading.
El destino de los chimancés cazados ___servir de sujetos en experimentos.
Ser (era). The destiny of the hunted chimpanzees was to serve as the subjects of experiments.
El veterinario que fundó esa organización ___ yo.
Ser (fui). I was the veterinarian who founded that organization.
Used to indicate origin, ownership, material, or destination.
Ser
De qué parte de Sudamérica ____?
Ser (eres). From what part of South America are you?
No ____ de Sudamérica. ___ de Mexíco.
Ser (soy) (soy). I am not from South America. I am from Mexico.
La bata ___ del científico.
Ser (era). The lab coat was the scientists.
Los barrotes de las jualas ___ de hierro.
Ser (son). The bars on the cages are made of iron.
Para quién ___ esos plátanos?
Ser (son). For whom are those bananas?
Has the meaning of “to take place, happen”
Ser
La exposición ___ en otra ciudad.
Ser (es). The exhibit is in another city.
Is the equivalent of “to be”in most impersonal expressions (i.e. when “it” is the subject of the English sentence).
Ser
Used to tell the time of day, season, month, etc.
Ser
___ tarde, ___ ya las siete y tengo que secribir una composición.
Ser (Es) (son). It’s late. It’s already seven o’clock and I have to write a composition.
___ verano y todas las ventanas estaban abiertas.
Ser (Era). It was summertime and all the windows were open.
___ suficiente obervar a los monor para comprobar que ___ muy inteligentes.
Ser (Es) (son). It’s enough to observe the monkeys to verify that they are very intelligent.
Combined with the past participle, is used to form the passive voice when an agent is expressed or strongly implied.
Ser
Esa nave espacial ___ diseñada por ingenieros alemanes.
Ser (será). That spaceship will be designed by German engineers.
Los chimpancés ___ capturados en África.
Ser (fueron). The chimpanzees were captured in Africa.
Combined with an adjective, tells us some essential, inherent characteristic of a person or thing.
Ser
Las jualas donde viven esos monos ___ muy incómodas.
Ser (son). The cages where those monkeys live are very uncomfortable.
Los chimpancés ___sensibles a la amistad y a los lazos familiares.
Ser (son). Chimpanzees are sensitive to friendship and to family bonds.
Este escritor ___ muy compasivo.
Ser (es). This writer is very compassionate.
Indicates teh social group to which the subject belongs. Examples are “joven, rico, pobre, viejo, millonario, católico, socialista”. Trades and professions also fall into this category.
Ser
Aunque sus padres ___ millonarios, Julían ___ socialista.
Ser (son) (es). Although his parents are millionaires, Julián is a socialist.
En mi familia, todas las mujeres ___ médicas.
Ser (son). In my family, all the women are medical doctors.
El novio de mi amiga ___ muy viejo.
Ser (es). My friend’s boyfriend is very old.
Never links the subject with a predicate noun, pronoun, or infinitive.
Estar
May be followed by a preposition, and adverb of place, a present participle (gerund), a past participle, or an adjective.
Estar
Expresses location (usually followed by a preposition or an adverb).
Estar
Cancún ___en México.
Estar (está). Cancún is in México.
La ropa ___ en la gaveta.
Estar (está). The clothes are in the drawer.
La playa ___ lejos de nuestra casa.
Estar (está). The beach is far from our home.
Combined with present participle (-ndo form) forms progressive tenses.
Estar
___ ensayando todo el día.
Estar (Estuvimos). We were rehearsing the whole day.
___ hablando mád de la cuenta.
Estar (Estás). You are talking too much.
Combined with adjectives or past participles, it refers to a condition or state of the subject.
Estar
No pude filmar la escena, porque mi cámara ____ rota.
Estar (estaba). I couldn’t film the scene because my camera was broken.
Anita ___ triste y enferma.
Estar (está). Anita is sad and sick.
A pesar de la operación, ___ peor.
Estar (estaba). In spite of the operation, she was worse.
Occasionally it is combined with adverbs of place to refer to location. Such is the case of a person who gives directions to a taxi driver saying, “___ allí en la esquina.”
Ser (Es). My destination is (that place) over there.
Used with an adjective or past participle, it may refer to a characteristic of the subject as viewed subjectively by the speaker or writer. Often conveys the idea of: “to look, to feel, to seem, to act”.
Estar
Usted ___ muy pálida hoy.
Estar (está). You are very pale today. (You look pale to me.)
Ayer vi a tu niño; ___ muy alto.
Estar (está). I saw your child yesterday; he is very tall. (In the speaker’s opinion, the child has grown a lot.)
Sarita ___ muy amable con nosotros en la fiesta.
Estar (estuvo). Sarita was (acted) very nice to us a the party.
Nace frío hoy, pero, qué calientita ___ el agua de mi piscina!
Estar (está). It’s cold today but the water in my swimming pool is (feels) nice and warm.
____ + past participle refers to a state or condition resulting from a previous action.
Estar
El espejo ___ roto; lo rompieron los niños.
Estar (está). The mirror is broken; the children broke it.
La puerta ___ cerrada; la había cerrado el portero.
Estar (estaba). The door was closed; the doorman had closed it.
___ casados varios años, pero ahora ___ divorciados.
Estar (Estuvieron) (están). They were married for several years but they are now divorced.
___ + past participle = action
Ser
___ + past participle = resulting state or condition
Estar
Ser caliente (animate reference)
“hot”(vulgar), passionate (sexual connotation; characteristic)
Ser caliente (inanimate reference)
warm (normally of warm temperature)
Ser frío (animate reference)
cold (having a cold personality)
Ser frío (inanimate reference)
cold (normally of cold temperature)
Ser friolento
sensitive to the cold
Estar caliente (animate reference)
hot (to the touch); hot (vulgar) (sexual connotation; condition)
Estar caliente (inanimate reference)
hot (to the touch), (having a high temperature at a given time)
Estar frío (animate reference)
cold (to the touch)
Estar frío (inanimate reference)
cold (to the touch), (having a low temperature at a given time)
Estar calenturiento
feverish
Arturo es muy frío y no nos recibió con afecto.
Arturo has a cold personality and he didn’t receive us warmly.
Lucía siempre lleva un abrigo de pieles porque es muy friolenta.
Lucía always wears a fur coat because she is very sensitive to the cold.
Estás caliente, creo que tienes fiebre –dijo mi madre.
You’re hot; I think you have a fever. –Said my mother.
Cuando la ambulancia llegó, el hombre estaba frío y pálido; parecía muerto.
When the ambulance arrived, the man was cold and pale; he looked dead.
Creo que tengo gripe. Estoy calenturiento y me duele la cabeza.
I think I have the flu. I’m feverish and my head aches.
Mi habitación es muy caliente porque le da el sol por la tarde.
My room is very warm because the sun hits it in the afternoon.
Tierra del Fuego es fría e inhóspita.
Tierra del Fuego is cold and inhospitable.
Cuidado. No te quemes. La sopa está caliente.
Be careful. Don’t burn yourself. The soup is hot.
No puedo planchar con esta plancha porque esá fría.
I can’t press with this iron because it’s cold.
Ser + aburrido
boring
Estar + aburrido
bored
Ser + borracho
a drunk(ard)
Estar + borracho
drunk
Ser + bueno
good (sexual)
Estar + bueno
good (inanimate reference)
Ser + callado
quiet
Estar + callado
silent
Ser + cansado
tiring
Estar + cansado
tired
Ser + consciente
conscientious
Estar + consciente
aware of, conscious
Ser + completo
exhaustive, total
Estar + completo
not lacking anything
Ser + despierto
alert, bright
Estar + despierto
awake
Ser + divertido
amusing
Estar + divertido
amused
Ser + entretenido
entertaining
Estar + entretenido
occupied (involved)
Ser + interesado
a mercenary (person)
Estar + interesado
interested
Ser + listo
witty, clever
Estar + listo
ready
Ser + malo
bad
Estar + malo
sick
Ser + nuevo
brand-new
Estar + nuevo
like new