Hello there! We will be doing articles from time to time on Spanish subjects with the goal being to help you better understand some of the basics. In our first article, we are going to explore what may be a question you have already asked yourself in your pursuit of learning Spanish. The difference in using ser and estar. I too asked myself this question early on when I first began learning the language three years ago. It is a common question, but when you break it down, it can be explained rather simply. Let’s take a look at what the difference is, in using ser and estar!
To know which to use in a given scenario, we must know what ser and estar refer to respectively. Basically, ser refers to the more permanent traits or things that won’t change such as relationships and origin. Here is where things can be a little confusing at first. Especially as it relates to relationships. We know that a friend may not be one in the future but we would still refer to them using the form ser. Mi amigo es mi amigo. We also use ser to describe family relationships as well! For instance, ella es mi hermana or she is my sister. Notice that in both examples, we use the form ser. It’s almost as if according to the Spanish language, all relationships are meant to last! Just remember, if it’s a relationship, description, or origin, use ser.
Here is where things can be a little confusing at first. Especially as it relates to relationships. We know that a friend may not be one in the future but we would still refer to them using the form ser. Mi amigo es mi amigo.
On the other hand, estar refers to things that can be changed such as physical position at a given moment or emotions that will inevitably change. As it relates to location, even if it seems to be permanent, estar must be used. For example, Estados Unidos está en Norte America, because the US is permanently on the North American continent. Using this information, try determining which form to use in the example below.
Ex. Yo soy/estoy de Estados Unidos.
In the example, we are trying to determine which form is correct for the sentence yo soy/estar de Estados Unidos or I am from the United States. If you answered yo soy, you would be correct. This is because although you may leave the United States, you will always be from the United States. Estoy would be the proper form if you were describing yourself as being in the United States at the time as this could be temporary and you could be in another country for a couple of hours
Ser is being used because the speaker is saying the person they are speaking to is always boring. In the next part, estar is used because to say you are bored means that it’s a temporary state and that soon the opposite may be true.
Another good example to look at would be the difference in saying you are boring and you are bored. Tú eres aburrida, or you are boring and tú estás aburrida, you are bored. Notice the difference between these two examples. In the first part, we use ser to describe someone as being boring. Ser is being used because the speaker is saying the person they are speaking to is always boring. In the next part, estar is used because to say you are bored means that it’s a temporary state and that soon the opposite may be true. That person may become sad or happy depending on where they go from there. It is a state that can and will change. Therefore you would use the estar form.
We hope this article has been helpful to you in your pursuit of mastering the Spanish language. Keep an eye out for our future articles!
