The conjugation of the Spanish verbs ser and estar presents a particular difficulty. It is believed that the study of each subsequent foreign language is given to a person more and more easily, since analogies can be traced in grammar and vocabulary. However, even if you know English, it will not be possible to understand the features of the use and conjugation of the verbs ser and estar right away. Because, for example, what in English is denoted by one word "to be", for some reason the Spaniards are divided into two words.
Exception words
On its own, the conjugation of the verbs ser and estar is easy to understand. These verbs are exceptions, so you just have to memorize the derived verb forms. They are presented in the table below.
Conjugations of the verb ser in present simple Presente de Indicativo.
| yo | me | soy |
| tú | you | eres |
| él, ella | he, she | es |
| usted | you (respect, singular) | es |
| nosotros, nosotras | we | somos |
| vosotros, vosotras | you | sois |
| ustedes | you (respect, pl) | son |
| ellos, ellas | they | son |
Example:
Yo soy Camila. - I'm Camila.
Or easier, without a pronoun: Soy Camila.
Often in Spanish, especially in the colloquial version, pronouns are omitted, since it is already clear from different endings of verb forms in relation to whom the word is used.
Conjugation of the verb estar in present simple Presente de Indicativo.
| yo | me | estoy |
| tú | you | estás |
| él, ella | he, she | está |
| usted | you (respectful sg.) | está |
| nosotros, nosotras | we | estamos |
| vosotros, vosotras | you | estáis |
| ustedes | you (respectful pl.) | están |
| ellos, ellas | they | están |
Example:
¿Donde estás? - Where are you?
Features of the use of the verb ser
The complexity of the conjugation of the verb ser and estar is different. You need to understand when exactly to use the verb ser, and when - estar.
You will need the conjugation forms of the verb ser when you need itask a general question: "What is it?". You will also use the verb ser to answer this question. After all, the main meaning of the verb ser is "to be", "to appear".
Example:
¿Qué es eso? - Es un gato. What is it? - It's a cat.
To indicate a person's profession, his nationality and where he comes from, the verb ser is also required.
Example:
¿Qué es usted? - Soy dentista. - What is your profession? - I'm a dentist.
Soy de Rusia. - I'm from Russia.
Ser is used for days of the week and times.
Example:
¿Qué hora es? - Son las seis de madrugada. - What time is it now? - It's six in the morning.
Hoy es sabado. - Today is Saturday.
Ser is also used to denote a constant attribute of an object or person. If Jorge is always boring, then use ser, if he is bored now, at this particular moment, and usually he is cheerful and interesting, then estar.
Example:
Jorje es muy aburrido. No quiero salir con el. - Jorge is very boring. I don't want to date him.
Ahora Jorje está aburrido. No tiene trabajo. - Now Jorge is bored. He doesn't have a job.
Features of the use of the verb estar
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, estar is used to indicate a temporary sign or characteristic.
Estar is also used to indicate where an object or person is.
Example:
¿Donde están tus padres? - Estan devacations. - Where are your parents? - They're on vacation.
For dates.
Example:
¿A cuántos estamos? - Estamos a siete de diciembre. - What is the date today? - Today is December 7th.
In addition to these differences, there are words that change their meaning depending on which verb they are used with. For example, the word listo can mean "smart" or "ready". So, if we use the adjective listo and the conjugation form of the verb ser, then we get that the person is smart. If we take estar listo, it means "to be ready".
Example:
¡La comida está lista! - Lunch is ready!
¡Maria es muy lista! - Maria is very smart!
Such words that change their meaning also include:
- ser aburrido - always be boring, etsar aburrido - get bored;
- ser triste - to be sad, estar triste - to be sad;
- ser verde - to be green, estar verde - to ripen, to keep up.
And a little hint. See which verb and tense is used in the question, and use the same in the answer. That is, if the question contains the present tense and the verb ser, then also answer in the present.
