Ser

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “ser”.

It’s one of the two Spanish verbs that mean “to be”, the other being “estar”.

Summarising the differences between “ser” and “estar” and when to use each is tricky, but generally “ser” is used for essential or permanent characteristics, while “estar” is used for temporary states and locations.

“Ser” is an irregular verb in all tenses. Here’s its conjugation in the present tense:

• Yo soy – I am
• Tú eres – You are (informal singular)
• Él/Ella/Usted es – He/She/You are (formal singular)
• Nosotros/Nosotras somos – We are
• Vosotros/Vosotras sois – You are (informal plural, only used in Spain)
• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes son – They/You are (plural)

Example sentences