Ser vs Estar
Spanish has two verbs for «to be». Here's how to never mix them up.
A Space in Spanishaspaceinspanish.com
SER
PERMANENT — what something IS
- Identity: Soy profesor. I'm a teacher
- Origin: Es de México. He's from Mexico
- Description: Eres alto. You're tall
- Time / date: Son las tres. It's 3 o'clock
- Material: Es de madera. It's wooden
- Possession: Es mío. It's mine
- Events: La fiesta es aquí. The party is here
ESTAR
TEMPORARY — how/where something IS
- Location: Está en casa. It's at home
- Emotion: Estoy feliz. I'm happy
- Condition: El café está frío. The coffee is cold
- Health: Está enfermo. He's sick
- Ongoing action: Estoy comiendo. I'm eating
- Result: La puerta está abierta. The door is open
- Opinion (taste): Está rico. It tastes good
💡 Quick test: is it part of who/what something is (→ SER) or a state, mood or place that can change (→ ESTAR)?
Same adjective, different meaning
| Adjective | with SER | with ESTAR |
|---|
| aburrido | boring | bored |
| listo | clever | ready |
| rico | rich (wealthy) | tasty |
| malo | bad (a bad person) | sick / gone off |
| verde | green (colour) | unripe |
| vivo | sharp / lively | alive |
| orgulloso | arrogant | proud (of) |
Conjugation (present)
| | SER | ESTAR |
|---|
| yo | soy | estoy |
| tú | eres | estás |
| él / ella / usted | es | está |
| nosotros | somos | estamos |
| vosotros | sois | estáis |
| ellos / ustedes | son | están |