Post on 31-Mar-2015
SER VS. ESTAR
Ser & Estar =
to be
SER & ESTAR
Both can be translated into English as the verb ‘to be’.
TO BEI am We areYou are You all areHe is, she is They are
Ser vs. estar
So, why do we use 2 verbs in Spanish?
. . . Because sometimes the verb ‘to be’ can have different meanings.
Let’s look closely at this sentence:
The apple is green.
What does the speaker wish to discuss?
* condition or
*quality
Condition or quality?
Check these out . . . .
The apple is green.(meaning that it is unripe.)
The apple is green.(meaning that it is the color green.)
ESTAR is used when discussing the state or condition that something is in:
Forms of Estar:
Estoy Estamos
Estás Estáis
Está Están
SER is used when discussing an
inherent characteristic or quality.
Forms of Ser:
Soy Somos
Eres Sois
Es Son
Ooohhh, so . . .
The apple is green.
(meaning unripe)
*this is referring to it’s condition
So . . . La manzana está verde.
But . . .
The apple is green.
(referring to the color)
*this is referring to a quality of the apple.
So . . . La manzana es verde.
Cool, Mrs. Z! Teach it!!
In English, the verb "to be" can be used to tell
how something is (the
condition) and what something
is (the essence of it, or a quality it
possesses).
What is she like? (She is a quiet person.) - ¿Cómo es ella? - Ella es callada.
How is she acting? (She is being quiet. ) - ¿Cómo está ella? - Ella está callada.
OK . . .
¡TE TOCA A TI!
How would you say . . .
They are tired. -Ellos están cansados.
Ricardo is bored. -Ricardo está aburrido.
Susana is happy now.
-Susana está contenta ahora.
Juliana is boring.
-Juliana es aburrida.
The girls are tall.
- Las chicas son altas.
RECAP:
ESTAR - a state or condition something is in.
SER - a quality or characteristic something possesses.
So, let’s look at the ‘rules’ from years gone by and see if this applies ? ? ?
Ser or Estar??
Occupation . . .
Ser
Ser or Estar??
Possession . . .
Ser
Ser or Estar??
Location?
Estar
Ser or Estar??
Time, date, day . . .
Ser
Ser or Estar??
Nationality
Ser
Ser or Estar??
Health
Estar
Ser or Estar??
**Where an event takes place
Ser
So, let’s recap . . .
Estar : Condition
- emotions
- health
- location (physical, geografic)
and . . .
The progressive tense
Estar + gerund
Linda is talking too fast.
Linda está hablando demasiado rápido.
Impersonal expressions:
- use SER
Es necesario . . . . Es importante . . . Es interesante . . . Es cierto . . .
Watch out for adjectives that change their meaning!
Ser Estar
aburrido(a) boring bored
cansado(a) tiresome tired
listo(a) smart ready
rico(a) rich tasty
seguro(a) safe sure
verde green unripe
vivo(a) lively alive
So . . . Like . . . We really can’t just use whichever we want . . . I get it! . .. I get it! Mrs. Z! . . .
Great job!!
Now, go out there and master the ser vs. estar struggles in this bilingual world in which
you now live!!!
Just remember . . .
It’s
E C if you
S Q –self the right questions!