In Spanish, ser and estar both mean "to be," but they are used in different ways:
Ser is for things that are permanent or usually don’t change.
Example: Soy alto. (I am tall.)
Estar is for things that are temporary or can change.
Example: Estoy cansado. (I am tired.)
Ser feliz: Soy feliz. (I am happy. I'm a happy person.)
Estar feliz: Estoy feliz. (I am happy at this moment.)
Ser bonita: Ella es bonita. (She is pretty [in general].)
Estar bonita: Ella está bonita. (She looks pretty today or right now. Maybe she has a new hair style, clothes, etc.)
Ser inteligente: Soy inteligente. (I am smart.)
Estar cansada: Estoy cansada. (I am tired right now.)
The verb estar is an irregular verb, which means it doesn’t follow the pattern we reviewed for other regular "-ar" present tense verbs. When you write the forms of estar, make sure to include the accent marks on estás and está.
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | yo estoy | nosotros estamos |
| 2nd person | tú estás | (We don't use this one. Use "Ustedes" to say "y'all") |
| 3rd person | él/ella/usted está | ellos/ellas/ustedes están |
Instructions: Fill in the missing sentences in the chart. If the English is missing, write the English sentence. If the Spanish is missing, write the Spanish sentence. Use your ser conjugations from the previous handout or your notes, and the estar conjugations from the chart above. If you’re not sure which verb to use, take your best guess. Be sure to check for correct accent marks on the estar forms. (This isn't an interview / dialog. We're giving the meaning of the sentences in each row.)
| # | English | Español |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | La clase de coro es divertida. | |
| 2 | I am happy. | |
| 3 | Spanish class is easy. | |
| 4 | Mr. Morales is calm and nice. | |
| 5 | La Sra. Benavidez es inteligente. | |
| 6 | El Sr. Echevarría es estricto y muy trabajador. | |
| 7 | La clase de lengua y literatura del Sr. Rodríguez es aburrida. | |
| 8 | Estoy aburrido. (¡Ojo! Notice how this sentence uses "estoy".) | |
| 9 | La clase de matemáticas de la Sra. López es difícil. | |
| 10 | I am patient and kind. | |
| 11 | Mrs. Benavidez is enthusiastic about literature. | |
| 12 | El Sr. Pérez es gracioso. | |
| 13 | Estás feliz hoy. | |
| 14 | You are very smart. | |
| 15 | Eres trabajador y paciente. |