Language/Spanish/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be-(SER-and-ESTAR)
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Use of the verb “TO BE” verb in Spanish is one of the hardest and most confusing verbs, at the same time it is one of the most useful and important.
Why is it so hard to understand?
Well, that must be because in English like in another languages (german and French, for example) there is only one verb to express the existence of things.
In Spanish however, we have two different verbs, "SER" and "ESTAR" used to express different states of being or existence, temporary and permanent.
For example:
- I am John - Soy John (verbo SER)
- I am fine - Estoy bien (verbo ESTAR)
- The car is mine - El auto es mío (Verbo SER)
- I am at home - Estoy en casa (Verbo ESTAR)
As you can see, in English only one verb is used and in Spanish, two are used.
USES OF VERB "SER"
To describe the characteristics of a person
- El hombre es alto – Man is tall
- Ella es delgada - She is Slim
- Tu eres agradable – You are nice
To know the date, hour, and price
- Hoy es sábado – Today is Saturday.
- ¿Qué hora es? - What time is it?
- Es la una (1:00) - It is one o´clock.
- ¿Cuánto es? - How much is it?
To indicate ownership
- La casa es mía –The house is mine
- El teléfono es de ella – The phone is hers
- La computadora es de el - The computer is his
USES OF VERB ESTAR
It is used to talk about a location
- Tú estas en Rusia - You are in Russia
- París está en Francia - Paris is in France
- Ellos están en casa - They are at home
To explain a temporary state (which can change from one moment to another)
- Estoy enfermo - I am sick
- Estas contenta – You are happy
- Estamos cansados - we are tired
To talk about the activities that are happening at this time
- I am eating – Estoy comiendo
- Estamos hablando - We are talking
- Estas aprendiendo español - You are learning spanish
CONJUGATION OF VERBS "SER"/"ESTAR"
- I am - Yo soy / Yo estoy
- You are - Tú eres / Tú estas
- He is - Él es / Él esta
- We are - Nosotros somos / Nosotros estamos
- You are - Ustedes son / Ustedes estan
- They are - Ellos son / Ellos estan