Ser y estar
Form
| ser | estar | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | soy | estoy |
| tú | eres | estás |
| él/ella/Ud. | es | está |
| nosotros/as | somos | estamos |
| vosotros/as | sois | estáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | son | están |
Uses of ser
To indicate nationality or origin:
- David es de Tejas.
- David is from Texas.
To describe intrinsic characteristics:
- Los árboles son altos.
- The trees are tall.
To indicate dates and time:
- Hoy es lunes, 16 de septiembre y son las 11:30 de la mañana.
- Today is Monday, the 16th of September, and it is 11:30 in the morning.
To form the passive voice with the past participle:
- El premio fue otorgado por el comité.
- The prize was awarded by the committee.
Uses of estar
To indicate where people, objects and places are located*:
- El coche está en el parking.
- The car is in the parking lot.
- * Use ser to describe where an event takes place.
- La clase de español es en Wescoe.
- The Spanish class is in Wescoe.
To express mental states that result from an action or event:
- Estoy deprimida porque saqué una “F” en el examen.
- I’m depressed because I got an “F” on the exam.
To express physical states that result from an action or event:
- El chico está cansado después de correr 5 millas.
- The boy is tired after running 5 miles.
To express something unexpected:
- ¿No está muy delgada Carolina?
- Doesn’t Carolina look really thin?
In general, the verb ser is used to express characteristics or inherent circumstances, while the verb estar is used to describe a resulting state. Equating ser with permanent states and estar with non-permanent states, can lead to erroneous verb use. Take a look at the following example:
- Mi abuela se murió el año pasado.
- My grandmother died last year.
- Mi abuela está muerta.
- My grandmother is dead.
Death is a permanent state but estar is used because death is the state or condition resulting from dying.