SER vs ESTAR - Spanish Grammar - PDF

SER vs ESTAR Ser and Estar both mean “to be” but they cannot be used interchangeably. Examples of the Uses of Estar: Position: To describe the physical position of a person or thing: For example: El perro está debajo de la mesa (The dog is under the table) La bibli...

SER vs ESTAR Ser and Estar both mean “to be” but they cannot be used interchangeably. Examples of the Uses of Estar: Position: To describe the physical position of a person or thing: For example: El perro está debajo de la mesa (The dog is under the table) La biblioteca está al lado de la librería. (The library is next to the bookstore) Location: To express where somebody or something is (located): For example: El museo de Bob Marley está en Kingston. (The Bob Marley Museum is in Kingston) Action: To express an action that is continuing (-ING) to happen. It is used with the present participle to form the progressive tense: For example: María está leyendo la agenda de Ana mientras Ana duerme. (María is reading Ana’s diary while Ana sleeps) Condition: To express the temporary physical or mental condition of a person or thing. For example: Mi mamá está enferma. (My mother is sick) Las ropas están mojadas. (The clothes are wet) El comedor está desordenado. (The dining room is untidy) Emotions: To describe or refer to someone’s or something’s emotions: Bárbara está nerviosa hoy porque tiene examen. (Barbara is nervous today because she has an exam)  Examples of the Uses of Ser: Descriptions: To describe the physical attributes of a person or thing. For example: Mi hermana es alta y delgada. (My sister is tall and slim) Carlos es musculoso. (Carlos is muscular) El edificio es grande. (The building is large) Mis abuelos son viejos. (My grandparents are old) Origin/Nationality: To express the origin or nationality of a person or thing. For example: Soy de las Antillas. (I am from the West Indies) Ella es trinitaria. (She is Trinidadian) Él es de Antigua. (He is from Antigua) La blusa es de algodón y seda. (The blouse is made of cotton and silk) Characteristics: To describe a person’s personality or the innate characteristics or qualities of a thing. For example: Anita es simpática y trabajadora. (Ana is kind and hardworking) El hielo es frío (Ice is cold) El azúcar es dulce. (Sugar is sweet) Jamaica es una isla caribeña. (Jamaica is a Caribbean Island) Time: To express time, date, season. For example: ¿Qué hora es? (What time is it?) ¿Cuál es la fecha de hoy? (What is today’s date?) Ahora es invierno en Inglaterra. (It is winter in England now) Occupation: To describe who or what a thing is. For example: Soy contador. (I am an accountant) Mi papá es medico. (My father is a doctor) Sofía es estudiante. (Sofía is a student) Relation: To state possession of something or relation to someone. For example: -¿De quién es esta falda (esta here means “this”, not “is”? - Es de Marta. Whose skirt is this? – It belongs to Marta. Andrés es el novio de Leticia. (Andrés is Leticia’s boyfriend) Here is a list of some adjectives and their meanings when used with ser & estar. ADJ SER ESTAR abierto open minded open casado married person married (state) cerrado narrow-minded closed listo clever ready loco crazy (a mad person) angry, frantic malo bad (character) sick preparado learned prepared, ready rico rich (wealthy) delicious, tasty seguro safe sure, positive verde green (by nature) not ripe vivo lively, alert alive