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2.07 Selecciones – ¿Ser o Estar?
In Spanish, there are two verbs that are equivalent to the English words “to
be.” If you want to say “I am”, you can either say “soy” or “estoy.” How does
the speaker of a different language know which word to choose? Which will
be appropriate? Making the wrong choice can completely change the
meaning of your sentence. Knowing how to choose will make sure that what
you are saying is really what you intend to say. In this section, we will
discuss the differences between the two verbs and how you can make the
correct choices.
Let’s review the forms of each of the two verbs that mean “to be.”
Ser
Estar
Yo soy
Nosotros somos
Yo estoy
Nosotros estamos
Tú eres
Vosotros sois
Tú estás
Vosotros estáis
Él, (ella,
usted) es
Ellos,(ellas,
ustedes) son
Él, (ella, usted) Ellos,(ellas, ustedes)
está
están
Look at the following examples and see if you can formulate a rule that would
apply to the use of ser.
Leonardo es italiano. El Sr. Gonzáles es colombiano. Yo soy de Guatemala.
You should have figured out that when you talk about nationality or place of
origin you would use a form of the verb ser. Now let’s look at another
example.
El Sr. Martínez es profesor. Lourdes Roselio es dentista.
In this instance, you would use ser to talk about someone’s occupation.
You also use the verb ser to express the time, day, and date.
Son las dos de la tarde. Hoy es sábado. Es el cinco de octubre.
When you describe something or someone, telling what they are like, you
use the verb ser. Note here that you are talking about a permanent
characteristic or quality of that thing or person, not a condition that he might
have at the time. For example:
Pablo es alto. (Being tall is not just a “condition” of the moment. It’s not
changeable. It is a permanent quality.)
El café está frío. (Being cold is just a “condition” of the coffee right now.
Awhile ago it was hot, and it could be hot again.)
El café está frío.
So you can see from the example above that the verb estar is used to
describe a state of being or condition that is changeable.
Marcos está bien pero Marta está enferma. Yo estoy triste.
Estar is used when you are describing how someone feels. (health or
condition) Estar is also used to show where a person or thing is located at
the present time.
Tú estás en la escuela.
Robertito está en la clase de inglés.
El libro está en la mesa.
Madrid está en España.
You can also use the verb estar as an auxiliary verb in the progressive
tenses. (With the –ing form of the verb.) We will discuss the progressive
tenses in a later module, but here are some examples.
Nosotros estamos hablando con el
profesor.
David está mirando la televisión.