When students first learn that there are two very different forms of 'to be' in Spanish they are often confused and perhaps even a little annoyed! "But why!?" is a very common reaction! Yet grasping the difference between 'ser' and 'estar' is often a watershed moment in the Spanish acquisition journey!

To be.. or not to be? That is the question.

Mastering the difference between ser and estar can be a breakthrough moment in your Spanish learning journey. It can quickly increase the depth of your comprehension and make it easier to speak with fluidity and confidence. Of course, this is because the words are so common! Imagine how many times you use the words is and are while speaking or writing!

Let's break it down

In both English and Spanish, it can usually be very helpful to look at the history of a word, just as a linguist might. The roots of these two seemingly similar words come from Latin:

• Ser stems from the Latin word esse, the root word of essence
• Estar comes from the Latin word stare which is the same root of the English word state

From the etymology, it becomes clear that although both ser and estar may both be translated to English as to be, they bear utterly contrasting meaning.

You may have already been told that ser is used when referring to permanent states while estar is mainly employed for temporary conditions. While this is mostly true, this definition can be rather unhelpful at times, and does little to explain some apparent anomalies. 

For example: Students often wonder why estar is used when discussing death:

Ophelia está muerta                     Ophelia is dead

While most people accept death as a rather permanent situation; estar is used rather than ser. The reason is simple: we don’t describe death as the essence of someone or something (though perhaps it could be used for the grim reaper!) but rather as a state of being (permanent or not).  

hmmm… ¿La manzana es verde… o está verde?

Another helpful way to understand the difference is to look at some examples describing people or objects that completely change meaning depending on the use of ser or estar. Here are several examples, using all the present tense verb conjugations of both ser and estar:

Soy nerviosa

I am a nervous/anxious woman

Estoy nerviosa

I am nervous [Because I have to give a speech]

¡Eres orgulloso!

You are a vain/conceited man!

¿Estás orgulloso?

Are you proud? [Because you just graduated!]

Él es feliz

He is a happy man [That’s the type of guy he is]

Él está feliz

He is happy [Because he has a hot date later]

¿Él es aburrido… o está aburrido? So before deciding to use ser or estar, ask yourself:

• Is it an essential characteristic? In which case you will use ser
• Or simply a condition or state of being? When you should use estar

This is a simple definition which will help you decide when to use which verb. There are not always strict rules, and the meaning of your words will change depending on the use of ser or estar. Yet when discussing either time or space, there are stead fast rules on which to use.

Sois buenas                            

You girls are good [Because you are nice people]

¡Estáis buenas!                      

You girls are hot! [You’re looking good tonight!]

Somos aburridos                  

We are boring people [We don’t get out much]

Estamos aburridos               

We are bored [Please entertain us!]

Las manzanas son verdes     

The apples are green [as they are Granny Smiths]

Las manzanas están verdes

The apples are green [Because they are unripe]

Time is of the essence

To say where you are, use the verb estar

Estar is always used to specify location:

¿Donde está el baño?             

Where is the toilet?

Está a la derecha                   

It is on the right

Ser and Estar… Two ways to say: is, am and are

At first glance it may seem complex that Spanish has two very different forms of to be. But keep in mind that in English we may use several more words to express a similar sentiment, or perhaps rely on other clues such as context or gestures. Grasping the divergence of ser and estar will grant you a greater depth of understanding for the subtleties of the language, and will naturally increase your fluency.  It is also a great test to get you thinking in Spanish, rather than having to translate every word back into English.

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