Ser Vs. Estar

Ser Vs. Estar, How to Choose When Speaking Spanish

There are entire books devoted to Ser and Estar. But through the years, I've figured out 3 simple rules that will cover you in 90% of the situations you encounter.

This isn't perfect, but it's better than memorizing some long list of rules you'll never remember.

Ser vs Estar has been a thorn in the side of Spanish students since the beginning of time...

But in today's video, I break it down to just 3 easy rules, then you give you a Practice Sheet to.... wait for it... PRACTICE!!!

For quick access to the rules:

Rule #1: 2:35 Temporary vs Permanent
Rule #2: 4:33 Location Uses Estar
Rule #3: 5:15 Profession Uses Ser

[arianayett]

A helpful tip is to remember the acronyms DOCTOR and PLACE.
DOCTOR is for SER
D: Description
O: Occupation
C: Characteristics
T: Time
O: Occupation
R: Relation

PLACE is for ESTAR
P: Position
L: Location
A: Action
C: Condition
E: Emotion 

I've found this to be really helpful when distinguishing the difference between SER and ESTAR. 

[blucksy]

When the Spanish dude said happiness is temporary, I felt that 😔😔😔

[elreinoosorio]

My favorite teacher used to tell us, "How you feel, and where you are, is when to use the verb estar."

[luisangulopaez]

We use SER for the ESSENCE of someone or something. The ESSENCE is mostly permanent like identidy, personality and some qualities that lasts in time.
We use ESTAR for the STATE of someone or something. The STATE is temporary like emotions, locations and actions.

[marquism]

This... this in seven minutes did more justice for me than it did in any classroom I took in Spanish. So simple and yet, it hit me with an epiphany when I thought twice right when you said that I should think of estar as temporary and es as permanent. Then the explanation rolled on in the video, and it continued to stick in my mind, because it is so true!

[lucianodubois]

as a spanish speaker let me tell you this is the best explanation for the verb to be ever!! superb job dude

[ilvampiro]

this is funny 'cause as a native spanish speaker we never learnt them as the same word, we never corelated them, i mean we don't need those rules because we never saw them as the same word until we learnt english, and that was just simple, tearcher at school just said: "ser" and "estar" are just one word in english, and i though: great not big deal here

[motaggart]

You're literally saving my life. Wish me luck on this final

[cabbagedavidge]

Looked every where on line about the use of Ser vs Estar.
Couldn't quite understand what the 'Ser' thing was because non of the sentences had it in them, which confused the hell out of me - but you have simplified and explained better than anyone! People need real basic stuff sometimes to understand this stuff! Thank you!!

[andreasanchezvela]

I don't really know how I ended up here if I'm a native Spanish speaker HAHAHAH but I'm sure these videos are helpful for people learning our language.

[n]

Lo mejor de ver tus vídeos es que no sólo mejoro mi inglés, sino que además aprendo español! nunca me había planteado la difencia temporal entre ser y estar... los habría definido simplemente con Estar= to be somewhere; Ser= to be someone... Qué grande es internet, un gringo enseñándome el por qué de como hablo. Gracias!

[RaúlCabezalí]

Another tip: ing/ed adjectives (boring/bored, exhausting/exhausted, etc.). Use "ser" when translating adjectives ending in "ing", and "estar" when translating adjectives which end in "ed". He is boring --> "él es aburrido" (he's a person I don't like to hang out with because he's always talking about himself and his job and so on); He is bored --> "Él está aburrido" (because the TV show he's watching is rubbish). Again, it kind of has to do with the "permanent/temporary" difference you mention in the vid.

[Vidaric]

Your videos are very entertaining!
As a native spanish speaker myself trying to explain this exact same duality to an english speaking friend, I feel like it's more a matter of what "to be", as in what actually CONSTITUTES you (ser), versus your current STATUS (está).
You are a doctor (ser). It's what you actually are. The building is (está) there, because it's a building isn't a "there", it just is (está) there, it is its condition or status

[immirees-dyer]

Honestly so relieved that I found this channel

[damirabdurakhimov]

Out of all videos about Ser and Estar, this is probably the best one.

[ariyaselby]

I'm crying from how much I needed this in spanish and didnt know how to use it. Thank you ❤👋🏻

[elizabethdunn]

The way I remember that buildings follow estar conjugation is that estar has the word estate in it and if you have an estate, you are rich and moving around a lot, and not permanently staying anywhere. Thanks for the great videos!

[sebastianramos]

I love to watch your videos dispite I'm a native spanish speaker because you make me think differently about the way we communicate. It's fun to hear the way foreigners understand and comprehend our tongue.

[ramiroquake]

As a spanish speaker, we have the same problem when we want to use in english the verb "Hacer" that could be translated like " to do" and like "to make", and the way to learn when tonise each one sometimes it just to get used to. So my recommendation is to heard native spanish speakers, and also to try to use them. For spanish speakers can sound rare use wrongly "Ser" and "Estar" but we will understand 100% with no problems. So a having those 3 recommendations about how to use "Ser" and "Estar"just go and try.

[richardr]

I have had a very hard time learning spanish. I have watched tons of other videos and you're videos helped me the best thank you. Gracias