Ser vs Estar

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Yo (I am) Nosotros (We)

Tú (You)

Él (He)

Ella (She)

Usted (You formal)

Ellos (More than one male)

Ellas (More than one female)

Ustedes (They formal)

Personal Pronouns

Are words that help you name people without saying their names.

Ser and Estar

Both verbs mean “to be”But how do you know when to use

which?

Ser is used to classify and identify permanent or lasting attributes.

Think of the acronym: DOCTOR

D - DescriptionO - OccupationC - CharacteristicT - TimeO - OriginR - Relationship

How to conjugate the verb SER

Yo (I am) Soy Nosotros (We) Somos

Tú (You) Eres

Él (He)

Ella (She)

Usted (You

formal)

= EsEllos (More than one

male)

Ellas (More than one

female)

Ustedes (They formal)

= Son

Use the verb “SER” to talk about…1. DescriptionFor description, think of what you

would say if someone asked you "What´s he like?”

Example: Yo soy Raúl. (I am Raúl.)

2. OccupationOccupations are seen as life-long

careers and are therefore seen as more "permanent"

Example: Ellos son estudiantes. (They are students.)

3. CharacteristicCharacteristics are personality

descriptions of a person.

Example: Mi esposo es romántico y cariñoso.

(My husband is romantic and caring.)

4. TimeTime includes days, dates, and

hours.

Example: Hoy es miércoloes. (Today is Wednesday.)

5. OriginAs the place a person is from or

the material something is made from

Example: Celia es de España. (Celia is from Spain.)

6. RelationshipEven after someone dies or someone breaks up,

relationships are described using ser.

NOTE: religion is considered a relationship with a higher power

Example: Marcos es mi ex-novio. (Marcos is my ex-boyfriend.)

Andrés es católico. (Andrés is Catholic.)

How to conjugate the verb SER

Yo (I am) Soy Nosotros (We) Somos

Tú (You) Eres

Él (He)

Ella (She)

Usted (You

formal)

= EsEllos (More than one

male)

Ellas (More than one

female)

Ustedes (They formal)

= Son

The verb “ESTAR”

Yo (I am) Nosotros (We)

Tú (You)

Él (He)

Ella (She)

Usted (You formal)

Ellos (More than one male)

Ellas (More than one female)

Ustedes (They formal)

Remember the Personal Pronouns

How to conjugate the verb ESTAR

Yo (I am) Estoy Nosotros (We)

Estamos

Tú (You) Estás

Él (He)

Ella (She)

Usted (You

formal)

= EstáEllos (More than one

male)

Ellas (More than one

female)

Ustedes (They formal)

=

Están

Estar is used to indicate temporary states &

locations.

Think of the acronym P.L.A.C.E,

P - Position

L - Location

A - Action

C – Condition

E - Emotion

Uses of ESTAR…

1. Position

Position is the physical location or posture that a

person or thing is in.

Example:

1. Mi abuela está sentada. (My grandmother is seated.)

2. El lápiz está en la mesa. (The pencil is on the table.)

2. Location

The location of someone or something that describes where

it is permanently or temporarily.

Example:

1. El baño está a la derecha de la sala. (The bathroom is to the right

of the living room.)

2. Mi tío está en la tienda. (My uncle is at the store.)

NOTE:

This is a big one: The location of an event or

party is described using SER. Not ESTAR!

Example: La fiesta es en mi casa. (The party is at my

house.)

3. Action

Estar is used to describe a current action using the

present tense.

Example:

1. Estoy lavando los platos sucios. (I am washing the dirty dishes.)

2. Ella está limpiando. (She is cleaning.)

4. Condition

Physical and mental conditions are described using estar.

Example:

1. Estoy tan cansada esta mañana. (I am so tired

this morning.)

2. Mi madre está un poca loca. (My mother is a

bit crazy.)

5. Emotion

How a person is feeling at a certain moment is described using estar.

Example:

1.  Estoy triste. (I am sad.)  

How to conjugate the verb ESTAR

Yo (I am) Estoy Nosotros (We)

Estamos

Tú (You) Estás

Él (He)

Ella (She)

Usted (You

formal)

= EstáEllos (More than one

male)

Ellas (More than one

female)

Ustedes (They formal)

=

Están

¡¡¡¡Ahorra es tiempo de practicar!!!!

Ser or Estar

1. El _____ de Guatemala. (He is from Guatemala.)

2. Ella _______ en la tienda comprando comida. (She is at the store buying food.)

3. Nosotros _______ del salón 311. (We are from room 311.)

4. Tú ________ muy valiente. (You are very brave.)