Video: Spanish Verb "Ser"

Spanish Verb Ser- To Be

The following table shows the conjugations of the verb ser in the present tense.

Singular Subject		Plural Subject
Yo (I)	soy	Nosotros/as (we)	somos
Tú (familiar you)	eres	Vosotros/as (familiar you)	sois
Ud., él, ella (polite you, he, she)	es	Uds, ellos, ellas (you, them)	son

Drop the Subject

Each conjugation is so precise that you usually don't need to include a subject at all! In Spanish you can simply say the verb:

• Soy de España
• Eres joven
• Somos de Nueva Zelanda

Spanish Verb Ser – Whose it is and where you're from

The word "de" is widely used with the verb ser. It means "of" when used to indicate possession and "from" when used to indicate origin.

Por ejemplo:

1. ¿De quién es el zapato?
   —Whose shoe is this?
   (Literally: Of whom is this shoe?)
2. El zapato es de Mateo
   —It is Matthew's shoe
   (Literally: The shoe is of Matthew.)
3. Esos son los pasaportes de mis padres
   —Those are my parents' passports
   (Literally: Those are the passports of my parents.)
4. ¿De dónde es Eduardo?
   —Where does Edward come from?
   (Literally: From where is Edward?)
5. Eduardo es de España
   —Edward is from Spain

Ser and Estar: Uses "3"

When the verb "to be" is followed by a noun, the verb ser is always used. In this instance, it might be helpful to think of the verb as equivalent to an "equal" sign, such as a = b. 

John is a doctor.
John = doctor.

Juan es médico.

When the verb "to be" is followed by an adjective, the verb used depends upon the meaning. When referring to an essential characteristic, use ser. When referring to a state or condition, use estar.

La leche está fría.
The milk is cold.

Los leones son grandes.
The lions are big.

When the verb "to be" is followed by an adjective, the verb can actually change the meaning of the adjective.

El señor está aburrido.
The mister is bored.

El señor es aburrido.
The mister is boring.

 To describe origin, or where something is from, use ser. To describe location, or where something is located right now, use estar. To tell where an event is taking place, use ser.

Mónica es de Argentina. (origin)
Mónica está en Venezuela. (location)
La fiesta es en la casa de Mónica. (taking place)

Let's review.

1. When a noun follows the verb, use ser
2. When an adjective follows the verb, decide between "essence" and "condition"
3. To tell where something is from, use ser
4. To tell where something is located right now, use estar
5. To tell where an event is taking place, use ser

Ser and Estar: Uses "2"

This lesson examines the other Spanish verb for "to be": estar.

Estar is used to express geographic or physical locations.

¿Dónde estás?
Where are you?

Estoy en el restaurant
I'm in the restaurant

¿Dónde está Venezuela?
Where's Venezuela?

Venezuela está en América del Sur.
Venezuela is in South America.

Estar is used with adjectives to express a state or condition ("how" something is).

¿Cómo está la carne?
How's the meat?

La carne está fría.
The meat is cold.

¿Cómo estás tú?
How are you?

Estoy muy bien, gracias.
I am very well, thanks.

Estar is used with many idiomatic expressions. These are just a few.

estar de acuerdo

to be in agreement

estar de pie

to be standing

estar en camino

to be on the way

Estar is used with the progressive tenses. 

¿Qué estás comiendo?
What are you eating?

Estoy comiendo arroz.
I am eating rice.

Let's review. Estar is used to express:

1. geographic or physical location
2. state or condition
3. many idiomatic expressions
4. progressive tenses

Ser and Estar: Uses

 to express the hour, day, and date.

¿Qué hora es?
What time is it?

Son las dos.
It's two o'clock.

¿Qué día es hoy?
What day is today?

Hoy es lunes.
Today's Monday.

¿Qué fecha es hoy?
What's the date today?

Es el cinco de mayo.
It's May fifth.

 to express place of origin.

¿De dónde eres tú?
Where are you from?

Soy de Colombia.
I'm from Colombia.

 to express occupation.

¿Cuál es tu trabajo?
What do you do?

Soy carpintero
I'm a carpenter.

 to express nationality.

¿Es ella puertorriqueña?
Is she Puerto Rican?

No, es guatemalteca.
No, she's Guatemalan.

 to express religious or political affiliation.

¿Son los García bautistas?
Are the Garcias Baptists?

No, son católicos.
No, they're Catholics.

¿Es el gobierno socialista?
Is the government socialist?

No, es comunista.
No, it's communist.

 to express the material something is made of.

¿De qué material es la mesa?
What's the table made of?

Es de madera.
It's made of wood.

 to express possession.

¿De quién es la pluma?
Whose pen is it?

Es de Emilio.
It's Emilio's.

 to express the relationship of one person to another.

¿Quién es Rogelio?
Who is Roger?

Es el esposo de Marta.
He's Martha's husband.

Ser is used with certain impersonal expressions.

Es importante practicar cada día.
It's important to practice every day.

Es necesario hablar mucho.
It's necessary to speak a lot.

 to tell where an event is taking place.

La película es en el cine.
The movie is at the theatre.

La fiesta es en el club Fantástico.
The party is in the Fantastic Club.

Ser is used with adjectives to express inherent, or essential qualities.

Miguel es un hombre sincero.
Mike is a sincere man.

También es guapo.
He's also handsome.