When to Use Ser and Estar in Spanish

Ser and Estar are two of the most common verbs in Spanish. They’re used in practically every sentence, which means learning to differentiate between them is vital if you’re serious about improving your Spanish. 

 Unfortunately, learning when to use the verbs Ser and Estar correctly can be challenging for Spanish learners. 

 Why? 

 Well, first of all, they both translate to English as “to be,” which confuses native English-speakers. And secondly, the rules for when (and how) to use these verbs are not always obvious. 

 Getting yourself acquainted with these two verbs will serve as an important foundation in your Spanish learning journey. In this post, we’ll show you everything you need to get started mastering these verbs.

The Main Difference Between Ser and Estar

Ser is most commonly used to talk about things that exist in a way that cannot be changed, or that would be quite difficult to change. To put it simply, it is used to describe more permanent things. 

Use “ser” when talking about:

• Nationality

Yo soy Mexicana. (I am Mexican.)

• Physical Traits

Karla es alta. (Karla is tall.)

• People’s Personalities

Enrique y Miguel son muy pesimistas. (Enrique and Miguel are very pessimistic.)

• Occupation

Mis amigos son maestros. (My friends are teachers.)

 Estar expresses a state, something that can change and/or varies from time to time. The verb “estar” is used for things that are usually not permanent, such as: 

• Emotions

Hoy estoy muy feliz. (Today, I am very happy.)

• Locations

Luis está en la biblioteca. (Luis is at the library.)

• Weather

Hoy está un poco nublado. (Today is a little cloudy.)

• Temperature 

Mi café está frío. (My coffee is cold.)

More Conjugations of the Verbs Ser and Estar in Spanish

Conjugation is probably the trickiest part of learning Spanish due to the many tenses used in the language. 

 Check out all of the conjugations of the verb “ser” in Spanish in different tenses here: 

https://www.wordreference.com/conj/EsVerbs.aspx?v=ser

Check out all of the conjugations of the verb “estar” in Spanish in different tenses here: 

https://www.wordreference.com/conj/EsVerbs.aspx?v=estar

Now that you know Ser and Estar’s basic usage rules, let’s practice with this quiz. 

Quiz: https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/5fd32d931c65fe0016c20c3a

The next time you’re having a Spanish conversation and you’re unsure whether to use ser or estar, simply remember to pause and reflect. Think about what you are about to say before choosing one or the other verb.

 “Is what I’m about to say permanent in nature? Can it change at some point?” 

 By asking yourself these questions it’ll be easier to figure out the right verb for that situation. As always, it will take a lot of practice before you naturally know which one to use. But by asking these two simple questions you’ll be much better positioned to choose the proper verb in your conversations.

 And don’t forget to be patient with yourself. The best students are those who are not afraid to make mistakes, and therefore get a lot more practice than those who remain silent.

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