Verbs Ser and Estar
In Spanish they have 2 ways to say "to be." Each is used a little differently.
ESTAR: often refers to a location or position. ESTAR usually refers to a condition that could change in some way.
estoy cansada estoy en Seattle está lloviendo |
I am tired I am in Seattle it is raining |
SER:
used for “IS ”when the quality or thing is unchanging or
more of a permanent kind of quality.
soy mujer eres de Texas es amarillo |
I am a woman you are from Texas it is yellow |
click
to listen to a rhyme that can help you remember how to use ser and estar
Don't worry if you occasionally confuse these 2 verbs - you'll find that even native speakers sometimes make mistakes. Using ser and estar is one of those things you get the hang of with time. Next time you're reading in Spanish, watching a Spanish movie or listening to music - take note of how each verb is used. Repeat those examples out loud!
Present and Preterite Conjugations for Ser and Estar
| present ser | present estar | preterite ser | preterite estar |
soy |
estoy |
fui fuiste fue fuimos fueron |
estuve estuviste estuvo estuvimos estuvieron |
Imperfect and Future Conjugations
| imperfect ser | imperfect estar | future ser | future estar |
era |
estaba |
seré |
estaré estarás estará estaremos estarán |
Worksheet: Ser & Estar
Quiz: Verbs Ser & Estar
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