Once you have tackled the basics of the language, your Spanish learning journey will take you to the verb “to be”, which is where things start to get interesting. There are two “to be” verbs in Spanish, ESTAR and SER. They both have different meanings and uses, so today we will review them and learn the Spanish verbs conjugation of both.

Though it may seem complicated, it’s not difficult to understand the differences and learn how to use them. It’s just a matter of practice!

Differences Between SER and ESTAR

Before we break down the Spanish verbs conjugation of ser and estar, I want to talk about the differences between the two. Though they both translate to “to be” in English, they have different meanings and uses.

Ser is used to talk about what’s happening and describe essential characteristics of the things, people, or situations we’re talking about. On the other hand, estar is used to talk about how something is, so it’s used to talk about emotions, actions, conditions, and locations.

An easy way to understand the difference between the two is to look at it like this: ser is a passive verb and estar is an active verb. What I mean by that is that ser tells you about the characteristics and nature of something, while estar expresses what you’re doing or being in any given moment.

Let’s take “I am happy” as an example. There are two ways we can say that in Spanish and it will mean different things:

1. “Soy feliz.” Here, we are using the verb ser, so it means that the person is happy by nature. It’s a part of who they are.

• “Estoy feliz.” By contrast, using the verb estar gives the phrase a different meaning. It means the person is happy at the moment they are speaking’.

Spanish Verbs Conjugation: SER Conjugation in the Present of Indicative

Learning the Spanish verbs conjugation of SER and ESTAR is one of the most important things because you will use them a lot. So, let’s break it down so you can practice and memorise it.

Now that you know the conjugation of SER, let’s discuss how this verb is used in Spanish.

• Hour, Day, and Date

•  “Es la una de la tarde.” / “It’s one in the afternoon.”
•  “Hoy es lunes.” / “Today is Monday.”
•  “La fecha de hoy es 16 de Noviembre.” / “Today’s date is November 16th.”

• Place of Origin and Nationality

• “¿De dónde son estas golosinas?” / “Where is this candy from?”
• “Son de Japón.” / “They are from Japan.”

• “¿De dónde eres?” / “Where are you from?”
• “Soy de Colombia.” / “I am from Colombia.”

• Occupation

• “¿A qué te dedicas?” / “What do you do for a living?”
• “Yo soy abogado/a.” / “I am a lawyer.”

• Descriptions

• “Soy católica/o.” / “I am catholic.”
• “Los caballos son animales nobles.” / “Horses are noble animals.”
• “El cielo es azul.” / “The sky is blue.”
• “Juan es guapo.” / “Juan is handsome.”
• “Los pasteles es deliciosos.” / “The cakes are delicious.”

• To Say Where an Event Takes Place

• “La fiesta es en casa de Alonso.” / “The party is at Alonso’s.”
• “El bautizo es en la iglesia.” / “The baptism will take place in the church.”

• Possession/Ownership

• Ese coche azul es mío.” / “That blue car is mine.”
• “Ese es el portátil de Ana.” / “That is Ana’s laptop.”

• Relationships/Identifying people

• “Esta es mi novia María.” / “This is my girlfriend María.”
• “Ellos son mis hermanos, Miguel y Andrés.” / “They are my brothers, Miguel y Andrés.”

• Essential Qualities/Personality

• “Tomás es muy responsable.” / “Tomás is very responsable.”
• “Mi tía es muy divertida.” / “My aunt is so fun.”
• “Ellos son muy aburridos.” / “They are so boring.”

Spanish Verbs Conjugation: ESTAR Conjugation in the Present of Indicative

Now that we’ve covered the Spanish verbs conjugation of SER, let’s take a look at ESTAR. Here’s the conjugation:

Once you’ve practiced the conjugation and memorised it, you can start using it in sentences. Here’s how ESTAR is used in Spanish:

• Physical/Geographic Location of People, Places and Objects

• “Nosotros estamos en casa.” / “We are at home.”
• “Mis hermanos están en Aruba.” / “My brothers are in Aruba.”
• “Mi coche está en el autolavado.” / “My car is at the car wash.”
• “Londres está en el Reino Unido.” / “London is in the United Kingdom.”

• State of Mind or Condition

• “Hoy estoy muy estresada.” / “I am very stressed today.”
• “El aire acondicionado está estropeado.” / “The air conditioner is broken.”
• “Ana está triste.” / “Ana is sad.”
• “Mi papá está enfermo.” / “My dad is ill.”

Comparing SER and ESTAR

By now, it’s clear that ser and estar have different meanings and uses. Ser refers to the essence of people, animals and and things that are permanent or characteristic, while estar refers to temporary things. To drive this point home and close this article on Spanish verbs conjugation, let’s look at a few comparative examples:

• “Yo soy de Australia.” / “I am from Australia.” Being Australian is a defining characteristic, in this case.

•  “Yo estoy en Australia.” / “I am in Australia.” Here, the meaning changes because we are talking about a condition. I am currently in Australia, but it’s not permanent.

• “Ella es aburrida.” / “She is boring.” Here, we are describing the person, being boring is their natural state of being.

• “Ella está aburrida.” / “She is bored.” In this case, she is either feeling or acting bored, but she is not a boring person.

I hope today’s article can help you integrate the Spanish verbs conjugation of SER and ESTAR so you can feel more confident in your skills!

If you or your organisation are looking for Spanish lessons, click here to contact me directly.

Beatriz Valverde Garzón – Private Tutor and CEO Spanish Practice Club 

Native Castilian Spanish I English TEFL 5 I ACSTH Coach