SER vs. ESTAR Flashcards
ser (to be)
soy
eres
es
somos
sois
son
To address an essential quality, use ser.
estar
estar (to be)
estoy
estás
está
estamos
estáis
están
To address condition, use estar.
Ser is used to express the hour, day, and date.
¿Qué hora es?
What time is it?
Son las dos.
It’s two o’clock.
¿Qué día es hoy?
What day is today?
Hoy es lunes.
Today’s Monday.
¿Qué fecha es hoy?
What’s the date today?
Es el cinco de mayo.
It’s May fifth.
Ser is used to express place of origin.
¿De dónde eres tú?
Where are you from?
Soy de Colombia.
I’m from Colombia.
Ser is used to express occupation.
Ser is used to express occupation.
¿Cuál es tu trabajo?
What do you do?
Soy carpintero
I’m a carpenter.
Ser is used to express nationality.
¿Es ella puertorriqueña?
Is she Puerto Rican?
No, es guatemalteca.
No, she’s Guatemalan.
Ser is used to express religious or political affiliation.
¿Son los García bautistas?
Are the Garcias Baptists?
No, son católicos.
No, they’re Catholics.
¿Es el gobierno socialista?
Is the government socialist?
No, es comunista.
No, it’s communist.
Ser is used to express the material something is made of.
¿De qué material es la mesa?
What’s the table made of?
Es de madera.
It’s made of wood.
Ser is used to express possession.
¿De quién es la pluma?
Whose pen is it?
Es de Emilio.
It’s Emilio’s.
Ser is used to express the relationship of one person to another.
¿Quién es Rogelio?
Who is Roger?
Es el esposo de Marta.
He’s Martha’s husband.
Ser is used with certain impersonal expressions.
Es importante practicar cada día.
It’s important to practice every day.
Es necesario hablar mucho.
It’s necessary to speak a lot.
Ser is used to tell where an event is taking place
La película es en el cine.
The movie is at the theatre.
La fiesta es en el club Fantástico.
The party is in the Fantastic Club.
Ser is used with adjectives to express inherent, or essential qualities.
Miguel es un hombre sincero.
Mike is a sincere man.
También es guapo.
He’s also handsome.
Uses of ser
(Overview)
the hour, day, and date
place of origin
occupation
nationality
religious or political affiliation
the material something is made of
possession
relationship of one person to another
certain impersonal expressions
where an event is taking place
essential qualities
Estar is used to express geographic or physical locations.
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.)
¿Dónde estás?
Where are you?
Estoy en el laboratorio.
I’m in the laboratory.
¿Dónde está Chile?
Where’s Chile?
Chile está en América del Sur.
Chile is in South America.
Estar is used with adjectives to express a state or condition (“how” something is).
¿Cómo está la sopa?
How’s the soup?
La sopa está fría.
The soup is cold.
¿Cómo estás tú?
How are you?
Estoy muy bien, gracias.
I am very well, thanks.
Estar is used with many idiomatic expressions. These are just a few.
estar de acuerdo
to be in agreement
estar de pie
to be standing
estar en camino
to be on the way
estar en las nubes
to daydream
Estar is used with the progressive tenses.
¿Qué estás comiendo?
What are you eating?
Estoy comiendo arroz y frijoles.
I am eating rice and beans.
Estar is used to express:
geographic or physical location
state or condition
many idiomatic expressions
progressive tenses
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.
Mónica es de España. (origin)
Mónica está en Venezuela. (location)
La fiesta es en la casa de Mónica. (taking place)
