Share / Tweet / Pin Me! |
Spanish Verbs to Be
The Spanish verbs ser and estar both mean "to be"* and are a difficult grammar point for many students of Spanish.
Ser is from the Latin word esse, meaning "essence." Ser is also a noun that means "life" or "human being. Thus ser is used to describe the essence of a noun: inherent qualities, factual information, and permanent or long-term attributes that seldom if ever change.
Estar is from the Latin verb stāre, "to stand." Estar describes a noun’s current state of being: its temporary, changeable qualities. It focuses on the present: how the subject feels or appears today.
Ser vs Estar
Some general tendencies – click for explanations and examples.
It’s essential to understand the difference between these two verbs, because with many adjectives, the choice of ser or estar can impact meaning, describing something as either a permanent or a temporary state of being:
Soy contento. | I’m happy (I’m a happy person). | |
Estoy contento. | I’m happy (I feel happy right now). | |
Lupe es sana. | Lupe is healthy (she’s a healthy person in general). | |
Lupe está sana. | Lupe is healthy (she had been sick) / Lupe looks healthy (today). | |
Juan es guapo. | Juan is handsome (he’s a handsome man). | |
Juan está guapo. | Juan looks handsome (today). | |
Somos optimistas. | We are optimists. | |
Estámos optimistas. | We’re optimistic (at the moment). | |
Mi abuelo es viejo. | My grandfather is old. | |
Mi abuelo está viejo. | My grandfather looks old (today – maybe he’s tired). |
In addition, some adjectives have distinctly different meanings depending on which verb they are used with: Ser vs estar with adjectives.
Mnemonic: DOCTOR CLIF
* Note: There are a number of idiomatic expressions in which the verb tener means "to be".
Ser vs estar Quizzes
Think you’ve got it? Test yourself on ser vs estar:
Note: You must be logged into your Progress with Lawless Spanish account to take these tests. If you don’t have one, sign up – it’s free!
If you have a Premium PwLS account, you can get even more practice with writing and dictation exercises:
Ser vs estar Writing Challenges
- Introducing myself (A1)
- A photo of our grandparents (B1)
- My neighbour is so hot! (B2)
Ser vs estar Dictados
- Reunión de padres en la escuela (A1)
- Recién casadas (A2)
- El taller de pianos (B1)
Related lessons
- Estar vs Ser – PwLS super list
- Introduction to estar | ser
- Expressions: with estar | with ser
- Conjugations: estar | ser
- Most common Spanish verbs
Spanish lesson plans
- ¿Ser o Estar? (Worksheet, 6th-9th grade)
- Ser vs Estar (PPT, 6th-11th grade)
- Ser y Estar (PPT, 6th – higher ed)
- Which one fits: Ser or Estar? (Worksheet, 6th-8th grade)
Share / Tweet / Pin Me!