ser 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
- Soy rusoI'm Russian (that's what I am, always)
- Estoy bienI'm fine (right now)
- El café está calienteThe coffee is hot (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?
Spanish keeps two verbs where English has one 'to be', and you choose between them in almost every sentence.
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?
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.
What does it look like in an example sentence Spanish?
“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.