COM: Lesson - SER vs ESTAR
SER vs ESTAR
There are two verbs that mean “to be” in Spanish: ser and estar. You already studied these two verbs separately in this course. In this lesson we will help you decide when to use SER or ESTAR:
- Ser is used:
- To talk about WHAT something is (permanent state)
- We use it for characteristics that are an essential part of the thing we’re talking about.
- Estar is used:
- To talk about HOW something is (temporary state)
- We use it for conditions, locations, emotions, and actions.
Comparing the Conjugations
Our first step will be to look at the two verbs side-by-side to compare how the present tense is conjugated.
| Pronoun | SER | ESTAR |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | soy | estoy |
| Tú | eres | estás |
| Él/Ella/Usted | es | está |
| Nosostros/Nosotras | somos | estamos |
| Vosostros/Vosotras | sois | estáis |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | son | están |
What is the Difference Between ser and estar?
As mentioned above, there are two verbs that mean “to be” in Spanish: ser and estar. These verbs differ mainly in the state of the noun: permanent vs. temporary. However, there are specific uses in which you will need to use one or the other. These two verbs have acronyms to help remember their uses: DOCTOR for ser and PLACE for estar.
| DOCTOR (ser) | PLACE (estar) |
|---|---|
| Date Occupation Characteristic Time Origin Relation |
Position Location Action Condition Emotion |
Video Lesson
This video lesson will help you understand how and when to use the verb SER and when to use the verb ESTAR. This is a muy importante lección (very important lesson) You may want to watch it twice! You will need tu cuaderno (your notebook), tu lápiz or bolígrafo (your pencil or your pen). Necesitas tomar apuntes (take notes) and complete practice activities.
Remember, email your teacher if you have any questions after you complete a lesson. Your instructor is always available to help you and clarify any additional questions you may have before you move forward with your studies.
Video credit: GAVS
Download a printable version of this presentation. Links to an external site.
Practice Activities
Are you feeling more comfortable now with the differences between ser and estar? Take time to practice. All practice activities have unlimited attempts. Practice as many times as you need. When you complete practice activities, you are reviewing the lessons and preparing yourself to move forward in the course!
Complete the following practice activity. Be sure you do not forget to use correct end punctuation, capitalization, accents, and all diacritical marks in your response or points will be deducted.
NOTE: You are required to use information from this course to complete all practice activities. Additionally, fill-in-the-blank activities can be very particular: if an item is marked incorrect, double check that it wasn't something as minor as an extra space or a capital letter in the wrong place!
Activity 1: Practicing the conjugation of ser y estar
Activity 2: Comparing the usage of ser y estar
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