Ser vs. Estar

Explanation

   Now that know when to use ser and estar, let's review some of the most important information about each verb.

Conjugation of "Ser" and "Estar"

Yo                              soy
Tú                              eres
Él, Ella, Usted               es
Nosotros                     somos
Vosotros                     sois
Ustedes, Ellos, Ellas       son
Yo                              estoy
Tú                              estás
Él, Ella, Usted               está
Nosotros                     estamos
Vosotros                     estáis
Ustedes, Ellos, Ellas       están

Ser or Estar?

   In previous lessons we learned two popular acronyms for remembering the main uses of both ser and estar. Let's do a quick review with new examples:

Ser

D (Date)                  Hoy es lunes (Today is Monday).
O (Occupation        Ella es abogada (she is a lawyer).
C (Characteristics)  Ellos son altos ( They are tall).
T (Time)                  Son las dos en punto (It is two o'clock).
O (Origin)                Yo soy de México (I am from Mexico).
R (Religion)              Ella es luterana  (She is a Lutheran).

Estar

P (Position)            La biblioteca está a la derecha (The library is on the right).
L (Location)           Chichen Itzá está en Yucatán (Chichen Itza is in Yucatan).
A (Action)              Estoy pensando (I am thinking)
C (Condition)          Estamos cansados (We are tired)
E (Emotion)            Mi hermana está feliz (My sister is happy)
Remember: "How you feel and where you are, always use the verb ESTAR!"

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