Ser vs. Estar: Understanding the Spanish “to be” Verbs

When to use “Ser” vs. “Estar” is one of the challenging topics in Spanish. Here, we seek understanding the difference between the two verbs: “Ser” and “Estar,” both meaning “to be” in English.

You may have asked yourself:

The answer is a little complicated. It is often tricky for English speakers to wrap their heads around the difference, but we will explain the difference here in a simple manner.

As a romance language, Spanish distinguishes between two states of “being;”‘ one that is more permanent and describes the essence of being of someone or something, and another state of being that is temporary or less representative of the original characteristic of the described.

However, this distinction only serves as a general rule. As always, there are some exceptions.

“Ser” & “Estar” Conjugation in the Present Simple Tense

Before we delve into the details, you need to recognize the two verbs in their present tense indicative conjugated forms. The verb “estar” is irregular only in the first-person “yo” form and is regular in all other forms. On the other hand, the verb “ser” is irregular in all its forms. Thus, it must be memorized because it is a very important verb that you will encounter frequently.

Here is the “ser” conjugation (irregular in all forms) and “estar” conjugation (irregular only in “yo” form) in the present simple tense:

Uses of “Ser” vs. “Estar”

Now, let us look at the difference in meaning between “ser” and “estar.” The easiest way to distinguish between the two is to remember the uses of “estar.” These tend to be more limited than the uses of “ser.” If you remember the uses of “estar,” you can safely assume that everything else should take the verb “ser.”

Uses of the Verb “Estar”

1. To describe location, e.g., “¿Dónde está el estadio?” (Where is the stadium?), “Yo estoy aquí” (I am here), “No sé donde están las llaves” (I don’t know where the keys are).
   
   There is one notable exception when we describe where an event (and not a physical thing) is taking place. In that case, we use “ser,” e.g., “El partido es en el estadio” (The match is in the stadium), “¿Dónde es la reunión?” (Where is the meeting?).
   
   
2. To describe a temporary state, condition, or emotion, e.g., “Estoy acostado” (I am lying down), “Mi amigo está enfermo” (My friend is sick), “Ellos están felices” (They are happy).
   

As you can observe, lying down, being sick, and being happy are temporary states. Therefore, we use the verb “estar.”

There are a few exceptions to the above two rules of using “estar”:

• Occupation, religion, nationality, and political affiliation: Although one may change any of those, we use the verb “ser” to describe these states, e.g., “Soy ingeniero” (I am an engineer), “Ellaes católica” (She is Catholic), “Él es portugués” (He is Portuguese), “Ellos son socialistas” (They are socialists).
  
  
• Time: Although time changes, we use the verb “ser” to describe it, e.g., “¿Qué hora es?” (What time is it?), “Son las 9” (It is 9 o’clock), “Hoy es viernes” (Today is Friday).
  
  
• Relationships: whether they are unchangeable, e.g., “Ella es mi madre” (She is my mother), or changeable, e.g., “Él es mi jefe” (He is my boss), “Ella es mi esposa” (She is my spouse).
  
  

Uses of the Verb “Ser”

Most other cases use the verb “ser,” especially if they describe the essence, origin, or characteristics of something or someone.
For example, “Soy Diego” (I am Diego), “Ella es de Chile” (She is from Chile), “Esta silla es de madera” (This chair is made of wood), “Él es amigable” (He is friendly), “Ella es inteligente” (She is intelligent).

Different Meaning using “Ser” vs. “Estar”

In some cases, using “ser” or “estar” can convey a different meaning. Consider the following examples:

1. For example, “Él es celoso” and “Él está celoso” both are translated as “He is jealous.” However, “Él es celoso” conveys that someone is jealous by nature and that this is a characteristic of him, whereas “Él está celoso” conveys that he is feeling jealous in response to a certain condition or event.

2. The statement “El helado es rico” (Ice cream is delicious) means that ice cream, in general, has the characteristic of being delicious, whereas “El helado está rico” likely refers to a specific ice cream that tastes delicious because of its ingredients, flavor, preparation, etc.

3. “La manzana es verde” and “La manzana está verde” both are translated as “The apple is green.” However, “La manzana es verde” describes the color of the apple as an intrinsic characteristic of the apple, whereas “La manzana está verde” refers more to the state of the apple being unripe.

4. Another more common example is when we describe the climate of a place versus the weather at a particular time, e.g., “Canadá es muy frío” (Canada is very cold) describes Canada as a cold place, indicating that being cold is a permanent trait of the place. On the other hand, “Está frío hoy” (It is cold today) simply means that the weather is cold at a specific time, that is, today.

Describing being dead using “Estar”

One notable exception is to describe a dead person. We say “está muerto,” referring to a male, or “está muerta,” referring to a female. We do not use “ser” in this case.

Marital Status using “Ser” or “Estar”

To describe your marital status, we could use either “ser” or “estar.” Although legal documents may use “ser,” you may hear “estar” more often by Spanish speakers, e.g., “Estoy/Soy casado” (I am married), “Está/Es soltera” (She is single), etc.

Review Lesson 3 of Level II in Spanish Lessons