The rule in one line
Use ser to name and classify: identity, origin, profession, nationality, clock time and days. Use estar to place and to describe a state: where a person or an identified thing is, and how someone is right now. Soy médica. Estoy en el hospital. Estoy cansada.
Forms of ser and estar
| Person | ser (who, what, from where, when) | estar (where, how) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | soy | estoy |
| tú | eres | estás |
| él, ella, usted | es | está |
| nosotros, nosotras | somos | estamos |
| vosotros, vosotras | sois | estáis |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | son | están |
Watch the accents: estás, está, están and estáis carry one; estoy, estamos, es, soy and son do not. The word after the verb agrees with the subject in gender and number: Ana está cansada, los chicos están cansados, Lucía y Pablo son mexicanos (a mixed group takes the masculine plural), ellas son médicas.
Vosotros and ustedes
In Spain friends and family are vosotros (sois, estáis). Ustedes (son, están) is the formal plural in Spain and the only plural "you" in Latin America. Both are correct; learn the one you will hear.
One verb in English, two in Spanish
English never makes you choose: I am a doctor, I am at home, I am tired. In Spanish the choice is part of every sentence, and the English habit pulls you to the wrong verb (*Soy en casa, *Estoy profesor). Ask what the sentence does. Does it name or classify someone: who, what, where from, what job, what time? Then ser. Does it place something or say how someone is at the moment? Then estar.
You may have heard that ser is permanent and estar temporary. That rule fails at once: Madrid está en España is as permanent as it gets, yet it takes estar, and Son las tres lasts a minute, yet it takes ser. Look at the kind of information, not at how long it lasts.
Ser: identity, origin, profession, nationality, time
Ser introduces people and things (Soy Ana. Es mi hermano. Es un museo), gives origin with de (Soy de Kyiv. ¿De dónde eres?), names a profession without an article (Es médica. Somos estudiantes) and a nationality (Son ucranianos). It also tells the time and the day: ¿Qué hora es? Es la una. Son las tres. Hoy es lunes. Use es for one o'clock and son for every other hour.
Estar: location and state
Estar places a person or an identified thing: Ana está en el hospital. El museo está en el centro. ¿Dónde está mi maleta? It also describes a state that someone or something is in: cansado, enfermo, contento, preocupado, ocupado, sentado, de pie; abierto or cerrado for a shop or a door; roto for an object.
Examples
- Hola, soy Ana. Soy de Kyiv. Hi, I'm Ana. I'm from Kyiv.
- Mi madre es médica. My mother is a doctor.
- Lucía y Pablo son mexicanos. Lucía and Pablo are Mexican.
- ¿Qué hora es? - Son las tres. What time is it? - It's three o'clock.
- Hoy es lunes. Today is Monday.
- Ana está en el hospital. Ana is at the hospital.
- El museo está en el centro. The museum is in the centre.
- ¿Dónde está mi maleta? Where is my suitcase?
- Los chicos están cansados. The boys are tired.
- La tienda está cerrada ahora. The shop is closed now.
Some adjectives can go with both verbs and change the meaning. That is a later topic; for now, keep to the uses above.
Typical mistakes
Soy en casa.Estoy en casa. Where a person is: estar.Madrid es en España.Madrid está en España. Where a city or a building is: estar, even though it never moves.Estoy de Inglaterra.Soy de Inglaterra. Origin: ser + de.Mi hermana está profesora.Mi hermana es profesora. A profession takes ser, with no article.Es las tres.Son las tres. Plural hours take son; only la una takes es.Estoy Tom.Soy Tom. Saying who you are: ser.Lucía: Estoy cansado.Lucía: Estoy cansada. The adjective agrees with the speaker, so a woman says cansada.Ellos es amigos.Ellos son amigos. A plural subject needs son.
Questions about ser and estar
What is the difference between ser and estar?
Ser names and classifies: who or what someone is, where they are from, their job, nationality and the time. Estar places and describes a state: where a person or an identified thing is and how someone is now.
Is ser permanent and estar temporary?
No, that rule fails often. Madrid está en España is permanent but takes estar, and Son las tres is brief but takes ser. Choose by the kind of information instead.
Do I use ser or estar for location?
Use estar for where a person or an identified thing is: Ana está en el hospital, El museo está en el centro. Origin is different and takes ser: Soy de Kyiv.
How do I say what time it is in Spanish?
Use ser: ¿Qué hora es? Es la una. Son las tres. Es for one o'clock, son for every other hour.
Which verb do I use with jobs and nationalities?
Ser, and without an article for a job: Es médica. Somos estudiantes. Son ucranianos.
What is the difference between vosotros and ustedes?
Vosotros (sois, estáis) is the informal plural in Spain. Ustedes (son, están) is the formal plural in Spain and the usual plural in all of Latin America.