Spanish grammar
Ser and estar
Spanish has two verbs for "to be". Ser describes what something is, and estar describes how or where it is right now.
English uses "to be" for everything: "I am tall", "I am tired", "I am at home". Spanish splits this job between two verbs, ser and estar. Ser describes what something is; estar describes how or where it is right now. A few clear rules cover almost every case.
The Forms of Ser and Estar
Both verbs are irregular, so learn their present forms first:
| Person | ser | estar |
|---|---|---|
| yo | soy | estoy |
| tú | eres | estás |
| él / ella / usted | es | está |
| nosotros | somos | estamos |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | son | están |
Notice the written accents on estás, está and están. Without them, esta and estas mean "this" and "these".
When to Use Ser
Ser tells you what something is: its identity and its nature.
- Who or what something is: Es mi hermano. - He’s my brother. Es un libro. - It’s a book.
- Jobs: Soy profesor. - I’m a teacher.
- Where someone is from: Somos de México. - We’re from Mexico.
- Description and character: Ella es alta. - She’s tall. Mis amigos son divertidos. - My friends are fun.
- Time and dates: Son las tres. - It’s three o’clock. Hoy es lunes. - Today is Monday.
- What something is made of: La mesa es de madera. - The table is made of wood.
- Where an event takes place: La fiesta es en mi casa. - The party is at my house.
When to Use Estar
Estar tells you how or where something is at the moment.
- Location of people and things: Estoy en casa. - I’m at home. ¿Dónde está el baño? - Where is the bathroom?
- Feelings and moods: Estoy cansado. - I’m tired. ¿Estás nervioso? - Are you nervous?
- Health: Mi madre está enferma. - My mother is sick. ¿Cómo estás? - How are you?
- A condition or result: La puerta está abierta. - The door is open. El café está frío. - The coffee is cold.
Location: Almost Always Estar
Location takes estar, even for things that never move:
- México está en América del Norte. - Mexico is in North America.
- El banco está en la esquina. - The bank is on the corner.
The only exception is an event, which takes ser. Compare La fiesta es en la casa de Ana (the party is taking place at Ana’s house) with Ana está en la fiesta (Ana is at the party).
Same Adjective, Different Meaning
With some adjectives, the choice of verb changes the meaning completely. Ser gives the lasting quality; estar gives the state right now.
| With ser | With estar |
|---|---|
| Es aburrido. - He’s boring. | Está aburrido. - He’s bored. |
| Es listo. - He’s clever. | Está listo. - He’s ready. |
| Es rico. - He’s rich. | Está rico. - It’s tasty. |
| Es malo. - He’s bad (a bad person). | Está malo. - It tastes bad, or (informally) he’s sick. |
| Es seguro. - It’s safe. | Está seguro. - He’s sure. |
| Es verde. - It’s green. | Está verde. - It’s unripe. |
Lasting Quality or Current State
With most other adjectives, ser and estar are both possible, and the difference is smaller:
- Ella es feliz. - She is a happy person in general.
- Ella está feliz. - She is happy today.
Sometimes only one makes sense. La sopa es caliente sounds odd, because soup isn’t hot by nature; La sopa está caliente (the soup is hot) is what you want.
A Quick Test
Ask yourself two questions:
- Is it about location or how something is right now? Use estar.
- Is it about what something is, where it’s from, or what it’s like by nature? Use ser.
If you’re still unsure about a person, think "in general" (ser) or "right now" (estar): Es nervioso (he’s a nervous person), Está nervioso (he’s nervous right now).
Ser and Estar in Other Tenses
Both verbs follow the same rules in every tense. They are irregular, so learn their forms as you meet them:
- Fue un día largo. - It was a long day. (preterite of ser)
- Estuve en casa toda la tarde. - I was at home all afternoon. (preterite of estar)
- Era muy tímida de niña. - She was very shy as a child. (imperfect of ser)
- Mañana estaremos listos. - We’ll be ready tomorrow. (future of estar)