Usage of Estar + Ser

SER vs. ESTAR

-Ms. McKenzie

Both ser and estar mean TO BE in English

Lets find out when to use each of them.

Ser is used for permanent things

Ser: To be

Estar is used for temporary things

Estar: To be

Multiple Choice

What is Ser used for?

• Permanent things

• Temporary Things

Multiple Choice

What is Estar used for?

• Temporary things

• Permanent things

When to use ESTAR

• Use ESTAR to talk about conditions that tend to change.

• How a person feels

• No duermo mucho, estoy cansada.

• Where a person or thing is located

• ¿Dónde está Maria? No está aquí. No puede venir hoy porque está enferma

HOW YOU FEEL AND WHERE YOU ARE, ONLY WITH THE VERB ESTAR

D.O.C.T.O.R. SER

• D = Description (mi abuelo es alto y pelirrojo)

• O = Origin (mi madre es de Venezuela)

• C = Characteristics = (Nosotras somos graciosas y pacientes)

• T = Time = (Son las ocho y media de la mañana)

• O = Occupation = (Soy maestro)

• R = Relationship = (Josefina es la hija de mi tía. Es mi prima)

Vamos a practicar

Look at the following English phrases. Then, decide if you would use ESTAR or SER to translate the sentence to Spanish.

Multiple Choice

You are from Peru

• ESTAR

• SER

Tú eres de Perú

Multiple Choice

Tomorrow is my birthday

• ESTAR

• SER

Mañana es mi cumpleaños

Multiple Choice

These shoes are from China

• ESTAR

• SER

Estos zapatos son de China

Multiple Choice

The library is close to the park

• ESTAR

• SER

La biblioteca está cerca del parque

Estar

• Both ser and estar mean to be, but they have different uses. You use estar to say where someone or something is located, and to ask and say how people are doing.

• La servilleta está en la mesa = The napkin is on the table.

• Estoy bien, gracias. = I'm fine thanks.

Ser

• You have used ser to identify people and things, to say where they are from to describe what someone or something is like and to give the day, date and time.

• Ricardo es mi amigo. Es de México. Es alto y simpático.

• Es lunes. Es el 17 de marzo. Son las once en punto.

Multiple Choice

Choose the reason for using SER: Ricardo y Lola son actores.

• occupation

• relation

• characteristic

• time

Multiple Choice

Choose the reason for using SER: Es muy simpático.

• occupation

• relation

• time

• characteristic

Multiple Choice

Choose the reason for using SER: Es la una.

• relation

• occupation

• time

• characteristic

Multiple Choice

Choose the reason for using: ESTAR: Mi hermana está muy cansada.

• position

• location

• condition

• emotion

Multiple Choice

Choose the reason for using ESTAR: Alonso está en cama.

• position

• location

• condition

• emotion

Multiple Choice

Choose the reason for using ESTAR: El libro está debajo del pupitre.

• position

• location

• condition

• emotion

When to use SER

• Use SER to talk about characteristics that generally do not change. SER is used for descriptions that are not conditions or locations.

• Who a person is, or what they're like

• Teresa es mi prima. Es muy graciosa.

• What something is, or what something is like

• Los tacos son mi comida favorita. Son delicosos.

• Where a person or thing is from

• Mis tíos son de México. Son muy símpaticos.

When to use ESTAR

• Use ESTAR to talk about conditions that tend to change.

• How a person feels

• No duermo mucho, estoy cansada.

• Where a person or thing is located

• ¿Dónde está Maria? No está aquí. No puede venir hoy porque está enferma

Multiple Choice

Juan Carlos ______ argentino.

• es

• está

Multiple Choice

_____ bien, gracias.

• Soy

• Estoy

Multiple Choice

El lápiz ____ de la señora Díaz.

• es

• está

Multiple Choice

El niño _____ enfermo.

• es

• está

Multiple Choice

Alejandra _____ cansada.

Alejandra is tired.

• es

• está

A subject pronoun replaces the subject of a sentence. This is done so that the subject doesn't keep being repeated.

Multiple Choice

If I were talking about Rosa, which pronoun would I use to replace Rosa?

• tú

• él

• ella

• ellas

Multiple Choice

If I were talking about Teo, which pronoun would I use to replace Teo?

• tú

• él

• ella

• ellos

Multiple Choice

If I were talking about Elsa and me. How would I replace ¨Elsa and I¨?

• yo

• ella

• nosotros

• ellos

Multiple Choice

If I were talking about Juan y Diego, which pronoun would I use for the two of them?

• él

• nosotros

• vosotros

• ellos

Multiple Choice

If I were talking to you, which pronoun would I use?

Oh...you are my friend.

• tú

• él

• usted

• vosotros

Multiple Choice

Which pronoun would I use if I were talking to you and you are the principal.

• tú

• usted

• vosotros

• ustedes

Multiple Choice

Which pronoun would I use if I were talking to a room full of people that I don´t know?

• tú

• nosotros

• vosotros

• ustedes

Estar

Subjects and subject pronouns cannot stand alone and form a sentence. Would you ever say ¨Andrés nice boy¨? (Don´t even say you would say this.)

Subjects must have a verb!

You cannot mix and match the rows and columns.

For example ¨yo¨ can only go with ¨estoy¨. Yo estoy....

You cannot write ¨Yo están...¨ They are not even in the same row.

Multiple Select

Select all the uses for the verb "ESTAR" (select that apply)

• Location

• Identity

• Health

• Origin

• Well-being

Multiple Select

Select all the uses for the verb "SER" (select that apply)

• Occupation

• Identity

• Health

• Origin

• Telling time

Poll

That is all for this assignment.

It is time for you to be honesto with yourself.

• I don´t understand any of it. (If this is your answer, ask yourself how much have you tried to learn it outside of class and in class?)

• I understand it when I am in class but I don´t understand it when I get home. (If this is the case, do you really understand it or rely on others to help you and so it feels like you understand it.)

• I understand it but I still do not have it memorized. If I could use my notes I would get an A on the test.

• I completely understand it. I don´t need help and I do not need to use my notes.