- Uriel Benitez
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How to Conjugate Ser and Estar in Spanish
¿Cómo conjugar ser y estar en español?
What does SER in Spanish mean?
Generally speaking, you use “ser” for more permanent states and “estar” for temporary states. As a result, you would use “ser” to describe someone’s profession: “Soy doctor” (I am a doctor). Likewise, you would use “ser” to describe the material something is made of: “La silla es de madera” (The chair is made of wood).
The most difficult part of conjugating verbs in Spanish is that there are many variations, but here we show you in a summarized way, how you can conjugate the verb Ser.
SER CONJUGATION CHART
| Persona | Past Tense | Present Tense | Future Tense |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | fui | soy | seré |
| Tú (You) | fuiste | eres | serás |
| ÉL / ella (He / She) | fue | es | será |
| Nosotros (We) | fuimos | somos | seremos |
| Ellos (They) | fueron | son | serán |
Examples of the verb SER in Spanish
In order to learn all these conjugations, you must first learn how to conjugate ser in the present tense, here are some examples to help you understand this.
Yo soy un abogado.
I am a lawyer.
Nosotros somos maestros en la misma escuela.
We are teachers in the same school.
Yo soy Miguel.
I am Miguel.
Tú eres americano.
You are american.
La mesa es de metal.
The table is made of metal.
Ellos son muy altos.
They are so tall.
If you notice, in the examples above, a permanent quality or someone’s profession is described.
However, there are also some special cases where you should always use “ser“.
Information about day / date / season / time
Hoy es domingo.
Today is Sunday.
¿Que hora es? Son las diez en punto.
What time is it? It’s ten o’clock.
Hoy es es 1 de abril.
Today is April 1.
Material, posesión / pertenencia, origen
Ese anillo es de oro.
That ring is made of gold.
El anillo es de Maria.
The ring belongs to Mary.
What does ESTAR in Spanish mean?
On the other hand, you would use “estar” to describe someone’s location: “Estoy en la cocina” (I am in the kitchen). You would also use it to describe how someone is feeling: “Estoy cansado” (I am tired) or “Ella está triste” (She is sad).
As with the verb “to be”, we show you how to conjugate it.
ESTAR CONJUGATION CHART
| Persona | Past Tense | Present Tense | Future Tense |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | estuve | estoy | estaré |
| Tú (You) | estuviste | estás | estarás |
| ÉL / ella (He / She) | estuvo | está | estará |
| Nosotros (We) | estuvimos | estamos | estaremos |
| Ellos (They) | estuvieron | estan | estarán |
Examples of the verb ESTAR in Spanish
To clarify this, here are some examples to help you understand this.
Temporary or health characteristics
Juan esta triste.
Juan is sad.
Nosotros estamos enfermos.
We are sick.
Marital status
Yo estoy soltero.
I am single.
Él esta casado.
He is married.
Ellos están divorciados.
They are divorced.
The location of something
Mi amigo está en Barcelona.
My friend is in Barcelona
Yo estoy en el parque.
I am at the park.
Mi amigo está en Barcelona.
My friend is in Barcelona
Yo estoy en el parque.
I am at the park.
Now, the following example is, in our opinion, the most important of all when it comes to “estar”. Since it is a very easy grammatical topic to learn but very common when speaking Spanish.
Actions in present continuous with Estar
When you want to say something like: “I am watching a movie”, that is, verb to be + verb ing, you will always need to use “estar“. And we also present to you the common mistake that some people make.
Yo estoy mirando una pelicula.
I am watching a movie.
Yo es mirando una pelicula.
I am watching a movie.
No matter which person you are talking about, you always need to conjugate it with “estar”.
Él esta mirando una pelicula.
He is watching a movie.
Nosotros estamos mirando una pelicula.
We are watching a movie.
So, in general, we would have something like this:
Ser vs Estar Chart
Comparison table of conjugations of "ser" and "estar" in the present
| Persona | "Ser" (to be) | "Estar" (to be) |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | soy | estoy |
| Tú (You) | eres | estás |
| ÉL / ella (He / She) | es | está |
| Nosotros (We) | somos | estamos |
| Ellos (They) | son | están |
Although ser and estar both mean “to be” in Spanish, they are used in different ways. Ser is used for permanent or essential characteristics, while estar is used for temporary conditions. To conjugate, these verbs, simply add the appropriate ending to the verb’s infinitive form. In conclusion, remember that when you want to describe someone or something as being a certain way permanently, you should use ser. For temporary states, use estar instead.
If you want or need a more in-depth explanation, you can also schedule a free Spanish lesson by clicking here!
Why not put your new knowledge to the test? Check out one of our exercises in Spanish about how to use ser and estar, it’s totally free!
Ser vs Estar Quiz
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