Mastering the difference between ser and estar can be a breakthrough moment in your Spanish learning journey. It can quickly increase the depth of your comprehension and make it easier to speak with fluidity and confidence. Of course, this is because the words are so common! Imagine how many times you use the words is and are while speaking or writing!
In both English and Spanish, it can usually be very helpful to look at the history of a word, just as a linguist might. The roots of these two seemingly similar words come from Latin:
From the etymology, it becomes clear that although both ser and estar may both be translated to English as to be, they bear utterly contrasting meaning.
You may have already been told that ser is used when referring to permanent states while estar is mainly employed for temporary conditions. While this is mostly true, this definition can be rather unhelpful at times, and does little to explain some apparent anomalies.
For example: Students often wonder why estar is used when discussing death:
Ophelia está muerta Ophelia is dead
While most people accept death as a rather permanent situation; estar is used rather than ser. The reason is simple: we don’t describe death as the essence of someone or something (though perhaps it could be used for the grim reaper!) but rather as a state of being (permanent or not).
Another helpful way to understand the difference is to look at some examples describing people or objects that completely change meaning depending on the use of ser or estar. Here are several examples, using all the present tense verb conjugations of both ser and estar:
Soy nerviosa
I am a nervous/anxious woman
Estoy nerviosa
I am nervous [Because I have to give a speech]
¡Eres orgulloso!
You are a vain/conceited man!
¿Estás orgulloso?
Are you proud? [Because you just graduated!]
Él es feliz
He is a happy man [That’s the type of guy he is]
Él está feliz
He is happy [Because he has a hot date later]
Sois buenas
You girls are good [Because you are nice people]
¡Estáis buenas!
You girls are hot! [You’re looking good tonight!]
Somos aburridos
We are boring people [We don’t get out much]
Estamos aburridos
We are bored [Please entertain us!]
Las manzanas son verdes
The apples are green [as they are Granny Smiths]
Las manzanas están verdes
The apples are green [Because they are unripe]
This is a simple definition which will help you decide when to use which verb. There are not always strict rules, and the meaning of your words will change depending on the use of ser or estar. Yet when discussing either time or space, there are stead fast rules on which to use.
Ser is always used to express time:
¿Que hora es?
What time is it?
Son las seis menos cuarto
It is quarter to six
Es* la una
It is one o´clock
*(In present tense, son is used for telling the time except for 1am or 1pm, when the singular es is used.)
Estar is always used to specify location:
¿Donde está el baño?
Where is the toilet?
Está a la derecha
It is on the right
At first glance it may seem complex that Spanish has two very different forms of to be. But keep in mind that in English we may use several more words to express a similar sentiment, or perhaps rely on other clues such as context or gestures. Grasping the divergence of ser and estar will grant you a greater depth of understanding for the subtleties of the language, and will naturally increase your fluency. It is also a great test to get you thinking in Spanish, rather than having to translate every word back into English.
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By Penelope Ray
February 15, 2023
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