SER VS. ESTAR

Ser & Estar =

to be

SER & ESTAR

Both can be translated into English as the verb ‘to be’.

TO BEI am We areYou are You all areHe is, she is They are

Ser vs. estar

So, why do we use 2 verbs in Spanish?

. . . Because sometimes the verb ‘to be’ can have different meanings.

Let’s look closely at this sentence:

The apple is green.

What does the speaker wish to discuss?

* condition or

*quality

Condition or quality?

Check these out . . . .

The apple is green.(meaning that it is unripe.)

The apple is green.(meaning that it is the color green.)

ESTAR is used when discussing the state or condition that something is in:

Forms of Estar:

Estoy Estamos

Estás Estáis

Está Están

SER is used when discussing an

inherent characteristic or quality.

Forms of Ser:

Soy Somos

Eres Sois

Es Son

Ooohhh, so . . .

The apple is green.

(meaning unripe)

*this is referring to it’s condition

So . . . La manzana está verde.

But . . .

The apple is green.

(referring to the color)

*this is referring to a quality of the apple.

So . . . La manzana es verde.

Cool, Mrs. Z! Teach it!!

In English, the verb "to be" can be used to tell

how something is (the

condition) and what something

is (the essence of it, or a quality it

possesses).

What is she like? (She is a quiet person.) - ¿Cómo es ella? - Ella es callada.

How is she acting? (She is being quiet. ) - ¿Cómo está ella? - Ella está callada.

OK . . .

¡TE TOCA A TI!

How would you say . . .

They are tired. -Ellos están cansados.

Ricardo is bored. -Ricardo está aburrido.

Susana is happy now.

-Susana está contenta ahora.

Juliana is boring.

-Juliana es aburrida.

The girls are tall.

- Las chicas son altas.

RECAP:

ESTAR - a state or condition something is in.

SER - a quality or characteristic something possesses.

So, let’s look at the ‘rules’ from years gone by and see if this applies ? ? ?

Ser or Estar??

Occupation . . .

Ser

Ser or Estar??

Possession . . .

Ser

Ser or Estar??

Location?

Estar

Ser or Estar??

Time, date, day . . .

Ser

Ser or Estar??

Nationality

Ser

Ser or Estar??

Health

Estar

Ser or Estar??

**Where an event takes place

Ser

So, let’s recap . . .

Estar : Condition

- emotions

- health

- location (physical, geografic)

and . . .

The progressive tense

Estar + gerund

Linda is talking too fast.

Linda está hablando demasiado rápido.

Impersonal expressions:

- use SER

Es necesario . . . . Es importante . . . Es interesante . . . Es cierto . . .

Watch out for adjectives that change their meaning!

Ser Estar

aburrido(a) boring bored

cansado(a) tiresome tired

listo(a) smart ready

rico(a) rich tasty

seguro(a) safe sure

verde green unripe

vivo(a) lively alive

So . . . Like . . . We really can’t just use whichever we want . . . I get it! . .. I get it! Mrs. Z! . . .

Great job!!

Now, go out there and master the ser vs. estar struggles in this bilingual world in which

you now live!!!

Just remember . . .

It’s

E C if you

S Q –self the right questions!