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| Via www.howtoconjugatespanishverbs.com |
Deciding
whether to use ser or estar is an issue that often causes
confusion for Spanish learners because both of them translate into English as
the same thing – to be -, but they are used in different ways to express
different things.
For example:
Estar +
aburrido.
|
Estar + guapa.
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Ser + aburrido.
|
Ser + guapa.
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When to use "SER"
"Ser"
is generally used if the following adjective is an unchanging characteristic of
the person, thing or place that you are describing. It is used:
-to express
physical description, personality traits, profession, nationality, race,
gender, etc.
Es muy
alto. (He is very tall.)
Son traductores
en la empresa. (They are translators in the company.)
Es sincero.
(He is honest.)
Es española.
(She is Spanish.)
Son de
Portugal. (They are from Portugal.)
Es mujer.
(She is a woman.)
-to express
dates, days, seasons, time, when events "take place"
Mañana
es sábado. (Tomorrw is Saturday.)
Es otoño.
(It is autumn.)
Son las 6 de
la mañana. (It is 6:00 in the morning.)
El
concierto fue ayer. (The concert was yesterday.)
-to express
what something is made of
Mi
camisa es de seda. (My shirt is made of silk.)
La
mesa es de madera. (The table is made of wood.)
-to express
possession
El
libro es de mi padre. (The book is my father's.)
El
perro es mío. (The dog is mine.)
Son de la
misma familia. (They are of the same family.)
When to use "ESTAR"
In general, we
use "estar" to describe a mood, appearance or state of being. It is used:
-to express
feelings/emotions, physical conditions, civil status
Estoy aburrido
en el colegio. (I am bored at school.)
Están muy
contentos. (They are very happy.)
El
mosquito está muerto. (The mosquito is dead.)
Mi
prima está embarazada. (My cousin is pregnant.)
Mi
hermana está casado. (My sister is married.)
-to express
the location of people or things (not events)
El
libro está encima de la mesa. (The book is on the table.)
El
banco está en el parque. (The bench is in the park.)
Ahora
mismo están en París. (Right now they are in Paris.)
Estamos en
el autobús. (We are in the bus.)
-with
the Spanish progressive tenses (in English, "to be" + verb-ing)
Estamos bajando
las escaleras. (We are going down the stairs.)
Están estudiando.
(They are studying.)
Está cocinando.
(She is cooking.)
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| Via www.gloster.com |
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