Welcome to our grammar lesson on how to choose between the verbs ser and estar in Spanish.
Both “ser” and “estar” mean “to be”. But we use them in different types of sentences.
In this lesson, we will learn the cases where we use “ser” and the cases where we use “estar”, providing examples.
At the end you’ll find a Quiz and Exercises for practice.
Conjugations in Present Tense
Before we explain the difference between “ser” and “estar”, let’s review their conjugations in Present Tense:
| ser | estar | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | soy | estoy |
| tú | eres | estás |
| él | es | está |
| nosotros | somos | estamos |
| vosotros | sois | estáis |
| ellos | son | están |
Uses of “ser”
ser means “to be”, and in general we use it for permanent things (things that don’t change).
That idea is a good start, but it doesn’t always work. The student should learn the most frequent uses of “ser”, one by one.
There is a trick to remember the uses of “ser” – Their initials make the word DOCTOR:
- Date
- Occupation
- Characteristic
- Time
- Origin
- Relation
Let’s read examples of each use:
Date
Hoy es quince de abril.
Today is April 15.Mañana es mi cumpleaños.
Tomorrow is my birthday.
Occupation
Mi hermano es arquitecto.
My brother is an architect.María y Laura son artistas.
Maria and Laura are artists.
Note: For occupations, we don’t use any article after ser. We don’t say “mi hermano es un arquitecto”, but “mi hermano es arquitecto”.
Characteristic
Characteristics tend to be permanent, not temporary:
Tu sofá es rojo.
Your sofa is red.Los españoles son simpáticos.
Spaniards are nice.
Time of the day
Son las nueve de la mañana.
It’s 9 a.m.Es la una de la tarde.
It’s 1 p.m.
Origin
Telling where someone (or something) is from:
Nuestro profesor es de Colombia.
Our teacher is from Colombia.Mi amigo y yo somos americanos.
My friend and I are Americans.
Relation
Relations between people and/or things:
Juan y María son primos.
Juan and Maria are cousins.El ordenador es de Ana.
The computer belongs to Ana.
Uses of “estar”
estar also means “to be”, but in general we use it for temporary things (things that change), and also to express location.
That idea is a good start, but it doesn’t always work. The student should learn the most frequent uses of “estar”, one by one.
The trick for the uses of “estar” – Their initials make the word PLACE:
- Position
- Location
- Action
- Condition
- Emotion
Let’s read examples of each use:
Position, Location
Telling where someone or something is, as well as its position.
We use estar even when the position or location is permanent:
El alumno está de pie.
The pupil is standing up. (position)Nosotros estamos sentados.
We are sitting. (position)La televisión está sobre la mesa.
The TV is on the table. (location)Madrid está en el centro de España.
Madrid is in the center of Spain. (location, so we use “estar” even though it’s permanent)
Action
By combining estar with the Gerundio of a verb, we form a tense called Present Progressive to express what’s going on:
Yo estoy estudiando para el examen.
I am studying for the test.¿Estáis jugando?
Are you guys playing?
Condition
Conditions tend to be temporary, not permanent:
La radio está rota.
The radio is broken.Estoy enfermo.
I am sick.
Emotion
Much like conditions, emotions are also temporary:
Yo estoy muy contento.
I’m very happy/satisfied (at the moment).Alejandro está enfadado con sus amigos.
Alejandro is angry with his friends.
Practice
Quiz
Take this short Quiz to test your knowledge about “ser” vs “estar”:
Exercise 1
Complete the conjugations of “ser” and “estar” in Present Tense with the missing forms:
| ser | estar | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | soy | ...... (4) |
| tú | ...... (1) | estás |
| él | es | ...... (5) |
| nosotros | ...... (2) | estamos |
| vosotros | sois | ...... (6) |
| ellos | ...... (3) | están |
Solutions:
1) eres
2) somos
3) son
4) estoy
5) está
6) estáis
Exercise 2
In the following sentences, fill the gaps choosing between the verbs “ser” and “estar” shown in brackets:
1) Mi casa ___ (es / está) en este barrio.
My house is in this neighborhood.
2) Las mesas ___ (son / están) grandes.
The tables are big.
3) ¿Qué ___ (eres / estás) haciendo, Carmen?
What are you doing, Carmen?
4) Mañana ___ (es / está) 20 de abril.
Tomorrow is April 20th.
5) Nosotros ___ (somos / estamos) buscando una farmacia.
We are looking for a pharmacy.
6) La habitación ___ (es / está) sucia hoy.
The room is dirty today.
7) Yo ___ (soy / estoy) Juan.
I am Juan.
8) Nuestro coche ___ (es / está) pequeño.
Our car is small.
9) Mis padres ___ (son / están) profesores.
My parents are teachers.
Solutions:
1) está
2) son
3) estás
4) es
5) estamos
6) está
7) soy
8) es
9) son
Exercise 3
In the following sentences, fill the gaps choosing between the verbs “ser” and “estar” in brackets:
1) Nosotros ___ (somos / estamos) cansados.
We are tired.
2) La Habana ___ (es / está) en Cuba.
Havana is in Cuba.
3) Las raquetas ___ (son / están) de Luis.
The rackets belong to Luis.
4) Los niños ___ (son / están) jugando al fútbol.
The children are playing soccer.
5) Hoy ___ (es / está) 10 de junio.
Today is June 10.
6) La nueva alumna ___ (es / está) de México.
The new student is from Mexico.
7) Vosotros ___ (sois / estáis) tumbados.
You guys are lying down.
8) Yo ___ (soy / estoy) entusiasmado con la fiesta.
I am excited about the party.
9) Ahora ___ (son / están) las diez de la noche.
It is now ten at night.
Solutions:
1) estamos
2) está
3) son
4) están
5) es
6) es
7) estáis
8) estoy
9) son