2.2 The General Rules for the Conjugation of the Spanish Verbs Ser and Estar
Summary: While in English we have one verb form, ‘TO BE’ – to assert existence, identification, location, time or action, in Spanish there are TWO VERBS to express these functions.
In this section, you will learn:
- The conjugation and uses of the verb ESTAR (to be)
- The prepositions of locations
- Differences between SER and ESTAR
Overview
Spanish has two verbs for To be: SER and ESTAR.
So, what’ s the difference?
Ser vs Estar
Estar
Estar has two main uses: location and conditions
You need estar for anything related to location.
Location Examples:
- Nosotros estamos en Boston
- el libro está en la mesa
Conditions are situations subjected to change, that is to say, they are temporary. (to be sick, dirty, tired,etc.)
Condition Examples:
- Yo estoy enfermo (I’m sick)
- Nosotros estamos enojados (angry)
- La pizarra esta sucia (dirty)
Notice that estar is irregular in the first person: Yo est-oy.
The rest is regular
Ser
The verb Ser is used for identification.
Anything that identifies a person or an object needs the verb SER.
Identification Examples:
- Yo soy Marcos,
- Ella es protestante,
- Nosotros somos inteligentes, altos, simpáticos
An additional use of SER includes telling time.
Time Example:
- Son las dos de la tarde
Prepositions of location:
All the prepositions go before a noun:
Example: La puerta está cerca de la pizarra
(The door is near the blackboard)
La mesa está lejos de la ventana (window)
El profesor está en frente de los estudiantes
Notice that almost all the prepositions need DE (of), except: entre, sobre, en, con.
After prepositions, the subject pronouns yo, tú become MÍ and TI, for instance:
La casa está delante de mí (the house is in front of me)
Marta está detrás de ti (Marta is behind you)
Attribution
“Verbs Ser/Estar (To be)” by Roger Celis in Spanish 101 by Lumen Learning is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
