Spanish has two verbs for “to be”. Ser describes what something is. Estar describes how or where something is right now. Here is how to choose every time.
Ask yourself: am I saying what it is (ser) or how or where it is (estar)?
Ser: identity and characteristics
Use ser for who or what someone is: name, job, origin, personality and lasting features. Time, dates and where an event takes place also use ser.
- Soy Ana y soy de Alemania.I’m Ana and I’m from Germany.
- Mi hermano es médico.My brother is a doctor.
- La casa es muy grande.The house is very big.
- Son las tres y hoy es lunes.It’s three o’clock and today is Monday.
- La fiesta es en mi casa.The party is at my place.
Estar: states and location
Use estar for how someone feels, the current state of things and where people or objects are. Estar + gerund describes what is happening right now.
- Estoy muy cansado hoy.I’m very tired today.
- Madrid está en el centro de España.Madrid is in the centre of Spain.
- La sopa está fría.The soup is cold.
- La tienda está cerrada.The shop is closed.
- Estamos hablando por teléfono.We’re talking on the phone.
Same adjective, different meaning
Some adjectives change their meaning depending on the verb. These come up all the time.
Common mistakes
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Wrong: Soy en casa. Right: Estoy en casa.
Location of a person or thing takes estar.
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Wrong: Estoy profesora. Right: Soy profesora.
Jobs are part of who you are: ser.
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Wrong: El concierto está en el estadio. Right: El concierto es en el estadio.
Where an event takes place uses ser.
Test yourself
Pick the right option. You get an explanation straight away.
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1Mi hermana ___ enfermera.
A job: ser.
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2Hoy ___ muy cansada.
A temporary state: estar.
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3El concierto ___ en el estadio.
Where an event takes place: ser.
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4Las llaves ___ en la mesa.
Where something is: estar.
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5¡Esta paella ___ riquísima!
Estar rico = to taste good.