Conjugation and Uses of the Verb "Ser" (To Be)

Explanation

   The verb ser means to be, and it is one of the most used verbs in Spanish. It is also challenging to use since there is another verb in Spanish that means the same thing (estar)! This section will be dedicated entirely to the verb ser. Let's start with the conjugation and meanings of ser. 
   Pay attention to the abbreviations: inf. = informal (used with younger people, siblings and friends); for. =formal (used with adults and people of a higher rank); sing.= singular (one), f. = feminine; m. = masculine.
   Finally, the "vosotros" form is used in Spain, and rarely in Latin America. Don't worry, it is easy to understand since it basically means "you all".

Conjugation of "Ser (to be)"

Yo                              soy
Tú                              eres
Él, Ella, Usted               es
Nosotros                     somos
Vosotros                     sois
Ustedes, Ellos, Ellas       son
I                                          am
You (inf., sing.)                      are
He, she, You (for., sing.)          is/are
We                                      are
You-all (Spain)                       are
You (all), They  (m.), They (f.) are

When do we use "Ser"?

   There are many acronyms that help us remember the uses of the verb ser. Let's look at D-O-C-T-O-R:


D (Date)                  Hoy es cinco de mayo (Today is May, 5)
O (Occupation           Antonio es  estudiante (Antonio is a student*)
C (Characteristics)     Yo soy  inteligente ( I am intelligent)
T (Time)                  Es la una en punto (It is one o'clock)
O (Origin)                 La maestra es de España (The teacher is from Spain)
R (Religion)               Muchos mexicanos son católicos (Many Mexicans are  
                              catholic)

   In other words, ser is used to describe something that is rather PERMANENT! don't worry, you don't have to remember all of these now. Pay attention to the conjugation first, and focus on how it is used within the sentences used in the activity.

   *In Spanish, we don't use un, uno, una or unas after ser unless there is a description, such as: Antonio es un estudiante inteligente.

Audio

First, do the activity on the right-hand side. Then, listen to this audio clip to check your answers. Finally, play it again and repeat after me to practice your pronunciation.

Grammar Practice