The auxiliary verbs ‘Ser’ and ‘Estar’ are both translated as ‘To be’.
Conjugation
SER
ESTAR
ENGLISH
TO BE
Yo
Soy
Estoy
I am
Tú
Eres
Estás
You are
Él/Ella/Usted
Es
Está
He/She/It is
Nosotros/as
Somos
Estamos
We are
Vosotros/as
Sois
Estais
You are
Ellos/as/Ustedes
Son
Están
They are
Use of Auxiliary Verbs in Spanish
As stated previously, in English we use the auxiliary verb ‘to be’ conjugating it according to the subject pronoun. In Spanish, there are two forms of the auxiliary verb, both identical in form and meaning to the verb ‘to be.’ Therefore, construction of the Spanish sentence requires an extra step in choosing the correct verb – namely, ‘ser’ or ‘estar.’ Only after having successfully chosen the correct verb we can conjugate it. We will now contrast the usage of the two verbs.
Use the Verb ‘Estar’ When Portraying:
a. A temporary state: feelings or conditions (sad, broken, etc.)
1. The cards are wet Las cartas están mojadas 2. The baby is sad El bebé está triste 3. The chair is broken La silla está rota
b. A geographic or physical location
1. You are in Peru (Ustedes*) están en Perú 2. Are you-formal in the house? ¿Está (usted) en la casa? 3. I am in the USA (Yo) estoy en los Estados Unidos * The subject pronouns are in parenthesis because in Spanish they are optional
(explained later on in this chapter).
c. In the progressive tenses:
I am dancing (Yo) estoy bailando
Use the Verb ‘Ser’ When Describing Inherent or Essential Qualities (tall, thin, handsome…)
1. She is from here (Ella) es de aquí 2. You are workers (Ustedes) son trabajadores 3. I am thin (Yo) soy delgada
List of uses of the verb ‘Ser’
Inherent qualities
Occupation
Nationality, place of origin, religious or political affiliation
Hour, day, and date
Possession
Examples
Ser
Estar
Spanish
English
Spanish
English
(Tú) eres una viajera
You are a traveler
(Él) está feliz
He is happy
(Ella) es baja
She is short
(Ellas) están en París
They are in Paris
(Ud.) es de Francia
You-formal are from France
(Nosotros) estamos mojados
We are wet
(Uds.) son de aquí
You-all are from here
(Ellos) están en la playa
They are in the beach
(Yo) soy delgado
I am thin
(Yo) estoy cansada
I am tired
(Tú) eres alta
You are tall
(Uds.) están satisfechos
You-all are satisfied
(Nosotros) somos gordos
We are fat
(Tú) estás triste
You are sad
(Uds.) son obreras
You-all are workers
(Ella) está enamorada
She is in love
(Él) es un carpintero
He is a carpenter
Summary
The Auxiliary Verbs Are Not Gender-Specific
The auxiliary verbs, as all other verbs in Spanish, are conjugated identically for masculine and feminine word forms.
The Use of Verbs and Subject Pronouns
I am from here (Yo) soy de aquí
In English we
must use the subject pronoun (I) and the verb (am). In Spanish we must use the verb (Ser Soy), but we can omit the subject pronoun (Yo). We can say: (Yo) soy de aquí. The subject pronoun, ‘Yo’, was put between parentheses because, as stated, we can omit it, as we have done in future examples.
We will use the subject pronoun and the verb in cases where it
might be more difficult to understand who we are referring to.
In the sentence ¿Son de los Estados Unidos? It is not clear if we mean ‘Ellos/Ellas’ (They) or ‘Ustedes’ (You-all.)
Borderline ‘Ser’ and ‘Estar’
The distinction between ‘Ser’ and ‘Estar’ depends on the content of the sentence. We can construct the sentence identically, but with a different auxiliary verb, depending on the desired meaning to be conveyed.
The sky is grey (temporarily) El cielo está gris The sky is blue (permanently) El cielo es azul
Las cartas están mojadas
