Ser and Estar
Spanish Grammar 2
Course 2 · Chapter 3 · Ser and Estar
⚖️ Ser and Estar — Ser y estar
Spanish has two verbs for "to be". Ser says what something is: identity, origin, material, time. Estar says where it is and how it is: location, state, condition. The choice is often a choice of meaning, and a handful of adjectives change meaning with the verb. Both verbs are irregular in the present, so learn the forms first.
The forms
| ser | estar | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | soy | estoy |
| tú | eres | estás |
| él / ella / usted | es | está |
| nosotros | somos | estamos |
| vosotros | sois | estáis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | son | están |
Estar is regular except for the yo form (estoy) and the accents on estás, está, están; ser is fully irregular and has to be learned as a set.
When to use SER
| Use | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| identity, relationship | Soy Philip. · Ana es mi hermana. | I'm Philip. Ana is my sister. |
| profession (no article, Spanish Grammar 1 4) | Soy técnico informático. | I'm an IT technician. |
| origin, nationality | Somos de Escocia. · Es escocesa. | We're from Scotland. She's Scottish. |
| material | La mesa es de madera. | The table is (made of) wood. |
| possession | Es de Ana. · Es mío. | It's Ana's. It's mine. |
| time, date, day | Son las tres. · Es lunes. · Es el nueve de noviembre. | It's three o'clock. It's Monday. It's the ninth of November. |
| inherent characteristics | Es alto. · Edimburgo es bonita. · Ana es simpática. | He is tall. Edinburgh is beautiful. Ana is nice. |
| where an event takes place | La fiesta es en mi casa. | The party is at my house. |
| price, quantity | Son diez euros. | That's ten euros. |
When to use ESTAR
| Use | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| location of people and things | Estoy en la oficina. · Madrid está en el centro de España. | I'm in the office. Madrid is in the centre of Spain. |
| state, mood, health | Estoy cansado. · Está enfermo. · ¿Cómo estás? | I'm tired. He's ill. How are you? |
| condition now (changeable) | El café está frío. · La puerta está abierta. | The coffee is cold (now). The door is open. |
| progressive (estar + gerund, Spanish Grammar 2 11) | Estoy trabajando. | I'm working. |
| fixed phrases | estar de vacaciones · estar de acuerdo · Estamos a nueve de noviembre. | to be on holiday · to agree · It's the ninth of November (a variant of Es el nueve de noviembre) |
Adjectives that change meaning
With most adjectives the choice is about permanent against current: Es nervioso. (a nervous person) against Está nervioso. (nervous today). Some adjectives have a different meaning with each verb:
| Adjective | with SER | with ESTAR |
|---|---|---|
| listo | Es listo. He is clever. | Está listo. He is ready. |
| aburrido | Es aburrido. He / it is boring. | Está aburrido. He is bored. |
| bueno | Es bueno. He / it is good. | Está bueno. It tastes good (food); in Spain also "he is attractive". |
| malo | Es malo. He / it is bad. | Está malo. He is ill; the food has gone off. |
| rico | Es rico. He is rich. | Está rico. It is delicious. |
| seguro | Es seguro. It is safe. | Estoy seguro. I am sure. |
| cansado | Es cansado. It is tiring. | Estoy cansado. I am tired. |
| vivo | Es vivo. He is sharp, lively. | Está vivo. He is alive. |
| despierto | Es despierto. He is quick-witted. | Está despierto. He is awake. |
| atento | Es atento. He is courteous. | Está atento. He is paying attention. |
| verde | Es verde. It is green. | Está verde. It is unripe. |
Ser or estar with a participle
With a past participle (-ado, -ido, which acts like an adjective and agrees with the noun), the two verbs mark two different ideas:
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| estar + participle | a result: the state after the action | La puerta está cerrada. · Las tiendas están abiertas. |
| ser + participle | the passive: the action itself, usually with por | La puerta es cerrada por el portero a las diez. |
The ser passive is formal and written; everyday Spanish usually prefers an active sentence or se: El portero cierra la puerta a las diez. The tenses that make the passive natural (fue construido) are in Spanish Grammar 3.
🗣️ In Use — En situación
Decide for each sentence why the verb is ser or estar.
① Meeting someone
② How are you?
③ At the restaurant
📋 Quick Reference — Resumen
| Question | Verb |
|---|---|
| Who / what is it? (identity, profession, nationality) | ser |
| Where is it from? What is it made of? Whose is it? | ser + de |
| What time / day / date is it? | ser |
| Where is it (a person or thing)? | estar |
| Where does the event take place? | ser + en |
| How is it now? (mood, health, condition) | estar |
| What is it like (by nature)? | ser |
| Result of an action (cerrada) | estar + participle |
| Passive (es cerrada por) | ser + participle |
✏️ Try It Yourself — Ejercicios
Say the answer first, then click to check.
1. Fill in ser or estar: "Yo ___ de Escocia." · "Nosotros ___ en Madrid." · "Ana ___ médica." · "Ellos ___ cansados."
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soy · estamos · es · están.
2. Say in Spanish: "It's three o'clock." · "It's Monday." · "The table is wooden."
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Son las tres. · Es lunes. · La mesa es de madera.
3. Say in Spanish: "The party is at my house." and "My keys are at my house."
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La fiesta es en mi casa. · Mis llaves están en mi casa. (event: ser; thing: estar)
4. Explain the difference: Es aburrido / Está aburrido.
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Es aburrido: he (or it) is boring. Está aburrido: he is bored.
5. Explain the difference: Es listo / Está listo.
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Es listo: he is clever. Está listo: he is ready.
6. Say in Spanish: "The soup is delicious." and "He is rich."
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La sopa está rica. · Es rico.
7. Choose: La tienda (es / está) cerrada. (it is closed now) and La tienda (es / está) en la plaza.
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La tienda está cerrada (a result). La tienda está en la plaza (location of a thing).
8. Say in Spanish: "I'm sure." and "It's safe."
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Estoy seguro (or segura). · Es seguro.
9. Say in Spanish: "How are you?" and "Where are you from?" (tú)
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¿Cómo estás? · ¿De dónde eres?
10. Correct the mistakes: Soy cansado. · Estoy de Escocia. · La reunión está a las tres. · Ella está médica.
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Estoy cansado (state) · Soy de Escocia (origin) · La reunión es a las tres (time) · Ella es médica (profession).