🌱Being & Feeling

Ser y Estar

A1 · Stage 1 · Week 5~60 minutes

After this lesson, you'll be able to:

  • ✓Conjugate ser in the present tense (all forms)
  • ✓Conjugate estar in the present tense (all forms)
  • ✓Choose correctly between ser and estar
  • ✓Express possession with "de"
  • ✓Describe locations, feelings, and characteristics

Grammar Focus

Essential grammar for this lesson with examples.

Recap: You've Already Been Using Two "To Be" Verbs

Without realizing it, you've been switching between ser and estar since Week 1. In Week 1 you said "Soy Ana" (I am Ana) and "Es de México" (She's from Mexico) - that was ser. In Week 2, you learned "¿Cómo estás?" (How are you?) and "Estoy bien" (I'm fine) - that was estar. This week, we put the full picture together so you can confidently choose the right one every time.

Examples:

Soy Pablo. Soy de España.I am Pablo. I'm from Spain. (ser - identity, origin)
¿Cómo estás? Estoy bien.How are you? I'm fine. (estar - feelings)
Es profesor. Está cansado.He's a teacher. He's tired. (ser vs estar)
Tip: You've been getting this right instinctively in set phrases. Now you'll learn the rules so you can apply them to any sentence.

Why Does Spanish Have Two "To Be" Verbs?

In English, "to be" does everything: "I am tall," "I am tired," "I am in Madrid." Spanish splits this into two verbs:

SER - for permanent things (identity, origin, characteristics)

ESTAR - for temporary things (feelings, location, states)

Examples:

serto be (permanent) - who/what you ARE
estarto be (temporary) - how/where you ARE
Soy profesor.I am a teacher. (identity - ser)
Estoy cansado.I am tired. (feeling - estar)
Tip: Think of SER as your ID card (name, nationality, job) and ESTAR as your status update (mood, location, current state).

Ser - Full Present Tense Conjugation

SER means "to be" for permanent or defining characteristics. Use it for identity, origin, profession, personality, time, and what things are made of. You've been using "soy" (I am) since Week 1!

Examples:

yo soyI am
tú eresyou are (informal)
él/ella/usted eshe/she is, you are (formal)
nosotros/as somoswe are
vosotros/as soisyou all are (Spain only)
ellos/ellas/ustedes sonthey are, you all are
Tip: Ser is irregular - memorize these forms! You'll use them constantly for introductions, descriptions, and telling time.
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Regional Note: Vosotros (sois) is only used in Spain. In Latin America, use "ustedes son" for both formal and informal "you all."
Complete guide to ser vs estar →

Estar - Full Present Tense Conjugation

ESTAR means "to be" for temporary states and locations. Use it for feelings, health, location, and conditions that can change. You've been using "estoy" (I am) for feelings since Week 2!

Examples:

yo estoyI am
tú estásyou are (informal)
él/ella/usted estáhe/she is, you are (formal)
nosotros/as estamoswe are
vosotros/as estáisyou all are (Spain only)
ellos/ellas/ustedes estánthey are, you all are
Tip: The accent marks on estás, está, estáis, están are important! They show where the stress falls and distinguish "esta" (this) from "está" (is).
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Regional Note: Vosotros (estáis) is only used in Spain. In Latin America, use "ustedes están" for both formal and informal "you all."

Ser vs Estar - The Big Explanation!

Both "ser" and "estar" mean "to be," but they're used differently. Use these memory tricks:

SER = DOCTOR

Description, Origin, Characteristics, Time, Occupation, Relationships

ESTAR = PLACE

Position, Location, Action, Condition, Emotion

Examples:

Soy español. / Estoy en España.I am Spanish (origin). / I am in Spain (location).
María es alta. / María está cansada.María is tall (description). / María is tired (condition).
Juan es aburrido. / Juan está aburrido.Juan is boring (personality). / Juan is bored (feeling).
Ana es lista. / Ana está lista.Ana is clever/smart (trait). / Ana is ready (state).
Tip: The same adjective can change meaning! Es aburrido = boring person, está aburrido = feeling bored. Es listo = clever/smart, está listo = ready. Es malo = bad/evil, está malo = sick.

Ser - When to Use It

Use SER for things that define WHO or WHAT something is - identity, characteristics, origin, time, and possession.

Examples:

Soy Ana. / Es mi hermano.I am Ana. / He's my brother. (identity)
La mesa es de madera.The table is (made of) wood. (material)
Somos de México.We're from Mexico. (origin)
Son las tres.It's 3 o'clock. (time)
El libro es de Juan.The book is Juan's. (possession)
Tip: SER + de = possession or origin. "Es de Juan" (It's Juan's), "Soy de España" (I'm from Spain), "Es de plástico" (It's made of plastic).

Estar - When to Use It

Use ESTAR for things that can change - location, temporary conditions, emotions, and results of actions.

Examples:

Estoy en casa.I'm at home. (location)
La puerta está abierta.The door is open. (state/result)
¿Cómo estás? - Estoy bien.How are you? - I'm fine. (condition)
Estamos contentos.We're happy. (emotion)
El café está frío.The coffee is cold. (current state)
Tip: Location is ALWAYS estar, even for permanent things: "Madrid está en España." The building isn't going anywhere, but we still use estar for where it IS.

Ser + De - Origin, Possession & Material

You've been using ser + de since Week 2 for origin ("Soy de España"). The same pattern works for possession and material - all things that define WHAT something is.

Examples:

Soy de México.I'm from Mexico. (origin)
El coche es de mi padre.The car is my father's. (possession)
La mesa es de madera.The table is made of wood. (material)
¿De quién es este libro?Whose book is this?
Es de mi hermana.It's my sister's.
Tip: Remember: Spanish has no apostrophe-s for possession. "Juan's book" = "el libro de Juan" (literally "the book of Juan").

The Contraction "Del" (de + el)

When de is followed by the masculine singular article el, they MUST contract to del. This is not optional - it's a grammar rule.

Examples:

el libro del profesorthe teacher's book (de + el = del)
el coche del vecinothe neighbor's car
la puerta del bañothe bathroom door
el libro de la profesorathe teacher's book (no contraction with "la")
el final del díathe end of the day
Tip: Only "de + el" contracts. "De la", "de los", "de las" stay separate. Exception: proper nouns like "Soy de El Salvador" (NOT "del Salvador").

Conversation Example

Pablo and Ana meet at a café and catch up after not seeing each other for a while.

Pablo
¡Hola, Ana! ¿Cómo estás?Hi, Ana! How are you?
Ana
Hola, Pablo. Estoy muy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?Hi, Pablo. I'm very well, thanks. And you?
Pablo
Estoy un poco cansado. El trabajo es difícil.I'm a bit tired. Work is hard.
Ana
¿Dónde estás trabajando ahora?Where are you working now?
Pablo
Estoy en una oficina en el centro. Es interesante pero estoy muy ocupado.I'm in an office in the center. It's interesting but I'm very busy.
Ana
¿Y tu hermano? ¿Cómo está?And your brother? How is he?
Pablo
Está contento. Es profesor ahora, ¿sabes?He's happy. He's a teacher now, you know?
Ana
¡Qué bien! Tu hermano es muy inteligente.Great! Your brother is very intelligent.
Pablo
Sí, y también es muy simpático. ¿Y tú? ¿De dónde es tu novio?Yes, and he's also very friendly. And you? Where is your boyfriend from?
Ana
Es de México. Es muy divertido pero hoy está un poco enfermo.He's from Mexico. He's very fun but today he's a bit sick.

🌍 Expressing Feelings in Spanish Culture

Spanish speakers are often more expressive about emotions than English speakers. Asking "¿Cómo estás?" isn't just a greeting - people expect a real answer! It's common to describe feelings in detail: "Estoy un poco cansado pero contento" (I'm a bit tired but happy). Physical and emotional states are discussed openly. You might hear "¡Estás muy guapo/a hoy!" (You look great today!) as a casual compliment. Remember: "¿Cómo estás?" asks about your current state (estar), while "¿Cómo eres?" would ask about your personality (ser) - quite different questions!

Want to learn more?

📚Articles guide→📚Ser vs Estar explained→📚Possessive adjectives→