Students of Spanish quickly discover that two Spanish verbs correspond to the English verb to be, and they are not interchangeable. These are ser and estar. Once a month over the next three months we’re going to be taking an in-depth look at their uses and how to remember which to use in what circumstances.
In this first blog post we’ll start with the verb ser, whose roots lie in the Latin verb esse (be), from which the English words essence and essential are derived.
Ser is used to talk about identity and essential, inherent characteristics:
- Use it to say who or what someone or something is or what something is for
¿Quién es usted?
Who are you?
Soy Ricardo.
I’m Ricardo.
¿Qué es?
What is it?
Es una piedra.
It’s a stone.
Es para cortar papel.
It’s for cutting paper with.
- Use it to say what someone’s occupation or profession is:
Jaime es estudiante.
Jaime is a student.
Soy intérprete.
I’m an interpreter.
Mi tía es traductora.
My aunt is a translator.
Los dos son médicos.
Both of them are doctors.
- Use it to say where someone is from, to identify their origins or nationality:
Soy de Perú.
I’m from Peru.
Ángel es costarricense.
Ángel is Costa Rican.
Marta es española.
Marta is Spanish.
Tú no eres de por aquí, ¿verdad?
You aren’t from around here, are you?
- Use it to talk about the material something is made of:
Los balcones son de hierro forjado.
The balconies are made of wrought iron.
Las puertas eran de roble.
The doors were made of oak.
Estos pendientes no son de oro.
These earrings aren’t made of gold.
- Use it to explain relationships and possession:
Fernando es su marido.
Fernando is her husband.
Ana es la hija de mi jefe.
Ana is my boss’s daughter.
El hombre del cuadro es nuestro bisabuelo.
The man in the picture is our great-grandfather.
Somos amigos.
We are friends.
Este abrigo es de Belén.
This is Belen’s coat.
- Use it to talk about someone’s religious or political identity:
Soy budista.
I’m a Buddhist.
Son hindúes.
They’re Hindus.
No es republicana.
She isn’t a Republican.
- Use it to describe physical or inherent characteristics:
Mi padre es pelirrojo.
My father is red-haired.
José es alto y moreno.
José is tall and dark.
Mi hermana es baja y rubia.
My sister is short and fair.
Nuestro perro es viejo y ciego.
Our dog is old and blind.
¿Cómo es tu novia?
What’s your girlfriend like?
Es muy simpática.
She’s very nice.
- Use it to talk about time and dates:
Es la una.
It’s one o’clock.
Son las ocho y media.
It’s half past eight.
Hoy es jueves.
It’s Thursday today.
Es el 11 de septiembre.
It’s 11th September.
- Use it to talk about where an event or activity takes place or is held:
El concierto será en la iglesia.
The concert will be in the church.
La siguiente Olimpiada fue en Barcelona.
The next Olympiad was in Barcelona.
Some people find DOCTOR a useful mnemonic to remind them of the main uses of ser:
Description
Occupation
Characteristic
Time
Origin
Relationship.
Ser is also used in the passive – when instead of saying who did what, you say what was done (by whom). This construction is a little less common in Spanish than in English.
El palacio fue construido a mediados del siglo XVI.
The palace was built in the mid-16th century.
La portada del álbum fue diseñada por James Marsh.
The album cover was designed by James Marsh.
DID YOU KNOW?
You use ser when talking about hair colouring even when someone’s hair is dyed:
Es rubia teñida.
She’s blonde though dyed.
PRACTICE
See if you can translate the following sentences into Spanish:
- Juan is a nurse.
- She’s young and dynamic.
- The poem was written by Foix.
- It’s quarter past two.
- Nieves is from Zaragoza.
- He’s slim with blue eyes.
- The bald man in the photo is my uncle.
- Tomorrow will be your birthday.
- Who’s that woman in the red dress?
- What’s the new head teacher like?
- Tomatoes are a type of fruit.
- What’s this?
ANSWERS
- Juan es enfermero. Juan is a nurse.
- Es joven y dinámica. She’s young and dynamic.
- El poema fue escrito por Foix. The poem was written by Foix.
- Son las dos y cuarto. It’s quarter past two.
- Nieves es de Zaragoza. Nieves is from Zaragoza.
- Es delgado con los ojos azules. He’s slim with blue eyes.
- El señor calvo de la foto es mi tío. The bald man in the photo is my uncle.
- Mañana será tu cumpleaños. Tomorrow will be your birthday.
- ¿Quién es esa/aquella mujer del vestido rojo? Who’s that woman in the red dress?
- ¿Cómo es el nuevo director? What’s the new head teacher like?
- Los tomates son un tipo de fruta. Tomatoes are a type of fruit.
- ¿Qué es esto? What’s this?
To focus on how estar is used, come back next month.
