Spanish: Ser versus Estar

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In Spanish there are two verbs for the English verb "To be", this might be a bit confusing at first for foreigners but there are rules when to use Ser and when to use Estar. On this page you'll learn the difference between the two and after reading this you'll know in what situations you should use Ser in what situations you should use Estar.

The basic rule about which one to use goes like this: If you're describing a temporary condition, you're describing HOW something is, then you use Estar. And if you're describing an essential fixed property, you're describing WHAT something is, then you use Ser.

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Ser

This might still sound a little vague, so we'll explain some further, Ser is used to:

  • Tell Time
  • Tell about possession
  • Tell about the material something is made of
  • Tell the place of origin
  • Tell about one's nationality
  • Tell about a certain relationship between two persons
  • Tell about profession/occupation
  • Tell about one's religion or political affiliation
  • Tell when an event is taking place
  • Tell about unchanging properties/qualities

Some examples using Ser will follow now:


  • He is a plumber - Él es fontanero
  • My coat is totally made of cotton - Mi abrigo es de algodón 100%
  • I am from the Netherlands, so I am dutch - Soy de Holanda, así que soy Holandés
  • He is her little brother - Él es su hermano pequeño
  • That is my bike - Ésa es mi bici
  • They are catholic - Son católicos
  • My party is today - Mi fiesta es hoy
  • The leaves of the tree are green - Las hojas del arbol son verdes (Note that this only applies to trees that remain green in all seasons, if a tree loses it`s green leaves in autumn then Estar is to be used since it would then be a temporary condition instead of a fixed fact)
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Estar

  • Tell where someone is, to express location
  • Tell the state or condition of a certain object/person
  • Tell something is in progress (Estar in combination with the gerund)

Some example sentences:

  • I am in the house - Estoy en la casa
  • He is very happy - Él está muy contento
  • She is ill - Ella está enferma
  • I am riding my bike - Estoy montando en mi bici (This sentence uses the ESTAR + GERUND combination to express something is in progress)
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Exercises

The Exercise centre contains an exercise: [1]

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