Lingoflyser and estar — two verbs 'to be'
Spanish keeps two verbs where English has one 'to be', and you choose between them in almost every sentence. For example: “Soy ruso” — I'm Russian (that's what I am, always). A rule from the Spanish course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Spanish keeps two verbs where English has one 'to be', and you choose between them in almost every sentence.
ser — what a person or thing is: job, origin, character, material. estar — how it is right now: mood, health, and where it stands.
The same adjective changes meaning with the switch. Es aburrido says he is a boring man. Está aburrido says he is bored today. A place never takes ser: la llave está en la mesa.
Table
| ser | estar | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | soy | estoy |
| tú | eres | estás |
| él / ella / usted | es | está |
| nosotros | somos | estamos |
| ellos / ustedes | son | están |
By example
- Estoy bienI'm fine (right now)
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Ser vs estar?
ser — what a person or thing is: job, origin, character, material. estar — how it is right now: mood, health, and where it stands.
When to use ser and estar?
ser — what a person or thing is: job, origin, character, material. estar — how it is right now: mood, health, and where it stands.
Es aburrido or está aburrido?
The same adjective changes meaning with the switch. Es aburrido says he is a boring man. Está aburrido says he is bored today. A place never takes ser: la llave está en la mesa.
Soy or estoy?
ser — what a person or thing is: job, origin, character, material. estar — how it is right now: mood, health, and where it stands.
What does it look like in a Spanish example sentence?
“Soy ruso” — I'm Russian (that's what I am, always). A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.