How to Conjugate the Spanish Verb Ser Versus Estar - Beginner Spanish Grammar Lesson

In this article you will learn how to conjugate the Spanish verb "ser" vs. "estar."One common mistake for beginners, is the tendency to confuse the use of the two verbs "ser" and "estar." Despite the fact that both these verbs mean the English word "to be" and that both verbs are irregular in the present tense, if you use "ser" when you really mean to use "estar," you can completely change the meaning of your sentence.

In a nutshell, the verb "ser" is normally used when speaking about permanent and inherent qualities. The verb "estar" is used to speak about temporary qualities or qualities that can change with time.

But there are certain words where you can completely change the meaning of a sentence depending on your choice of "ser" and "estar." Let me give you some examples.

1a. ser rico/a (to be rich)

Soy rico.

(I am rich)

1b. estar rico/a (to be delicious)

La comida está rica.

(The food is delicious)

While "soy rico" may be a line a guy may use to impress a "muchacha," saying "estoy rico" may get him slapped.

2a. ser aburrido/a (to be boring)

Ella es aburrida.

(She is boring.)

2b. estar aburrido/a (to be bored).

Antes de la fiesta, estuve muy aburrido.

(Before the party, I was very bored.)

This one reminds me of a story that an American friend told me about a native Spanish-speaking woman who he was dating. The first time that they went out she said to him more than once in English "you look very BORING."

Actually, what she meant to say in English is "You look very BORED." Well, that's what my American friend hopes that she meant to say. The point I am making is that native Spanish speakers also make similar or related mistakes when learning English.

Here are some more examples of how your choice of "ser" vs. "estar" can completely change the meaning of a sentence.

3a. ser listo/a (to be smart)

El muchacho es listo.

(The boy is smart)

3b. estar listo/a (to be ready)

El muchacho está listo.

(The boy is ready)

4a. ser malo/a (to be bad)

Cuando yo era pequeño era muy malo.

(When I was little, I was very bad.)

4b. estar malo/a (to be sick/to go bad)

Hoy el juez está mal.

(Today the judge is sick.)

5a. ser seguro/a (to be safe/secure)

Tus diamantes están seguros en la caja fuerte.

(Your diamonds are secure in the safe.)

5b. estar seguro/a (to be sure)

Estás seguro que mi avión llega a las seis?

(Are you sure that my plane arrives at six?)

So keep these examples in mind if you want to know how to conjugate the Spanish verb "ser" vs. "estar."

Alejandra K. Legarda is a free lance Spanish instructor. She is also a contributor to the Learning Spanish Like Crazy course and the Verbarrator Spanish verb conjugation software. If you want to test-drive a free online demo copy of the Verbarrator and learn how to conjugate Spanish verbs as easy as uno, dos, tres then go here now: Verbarrator.com