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The verbs “ser” and “estar” in Spanish both mean the verb “to be” in English. However, they are used in different contexts.

It’s sometimes difficult to tell the difference between these two verbs and they are used in a variety of ways.

In this Spanish grammar course, this difference is explained in a simple and clear way in order to use these verbs properly.

What is the verb “ser” used for in spanish?

“Ser” is mainly used for :

• Identify a person or thing : Es mi casa.
• Describe the characteristics of a person that do not change : Este niño es muy guapo.
• Specify a person’s nationality : Somos francesas.
• To indicate the profession : Soy logopeda.
• To evoke the intrinsic qualities of a thing or a place : Los perros son fieles.
• To indicate the matter : La pared es de madera.
• To indicate possession : Es mío.
• Tell the time : Son las dos de la tarde.
• Tell the date : Hoy, es 18 de junio de 2020.
• Specify a period of time : Es de noche.
• Situate events in space : La recepción es en mi casa.

In addition, “ser” is used in the passive form of process:

• Las cerezas no han sido pagadas.

We can also associate “ser” with the Spanish verb “existir” which means “to exist”.

What is estar used for in spanish?

On the other hand, “estar” is used for :

• Describe a person’s physical state : Esta personne está bastante gorda.
• Describe a person’s body posture :  Estoy de pie.
• State a person’s condition :  Hoy, estoy enfermo.
• State a person’s marital status : Está casado.
• Talk about a temporary job (followed by the preposition “de”) : Estoy de cajero.
• To indicate the temporary state of a thing or place : Está bastante sucio.
• To indicate the date (always with the verb in the first person plural and a preposition) : Estamos a 18 de junio de 2020.
• To situate oneself in time : Estamos en verano.
• To situate oneself in space : Estoy en tu casa.

“Estar” is used in the passive form of state:

• Las cerezas ya están pagadas.

It is also used in verbal periphrases:

• -¿Estás comiendo? -Sí, estoy comiendo algunas cerezas.

Finally, “estar” is associated with the verb “encontrarse” which means “to meet (each other)”.

Thus, “ser” and “estar” are two verbs with some nuances in their use and meaning.

Before forming a sentence in Spanish that contains the verb “to be” in English, then it is important to question the meaning of the sentence in order to use the correct verb.

– Ser or Estar – Practice online –

👉 Next lesson: To have: Tener vs Haber

👈 Previous lesson: Negative sentences

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As in English, when you want to express plurality (several persons/objects/notions…) in Spanish, you use the desired common noun(s) in the plural.

This grammatical form is usually characterized by the addition of the “s” at the end of the word, like in English.

It is important to remember that in Spanish, all sounds are pronounced the same as in English. When you put a noun in the plural in Spanish, the pronunciation changes.

Noun ending with a vowel

When the common noun ends in a vowel, you simply add an “s” at the end of the word to obtain the plural of the noun. This is the most common form.

• un libro → dos libros. (one book → two books)

For nouns ending in “ú” or “í” in the singular, there are two options: either an “s” is added to the end of the word, or an “es” is inserted to give the language a slightly more sustained style.

• un bambú → dos bambús/bambúes. (one bamboo → two bamboos)

Ending a noun with a consonant

The plural of the noun differs when the noun ends in a consonant. In this case, you must add “es” at the end of the word to form the plural.

un caracol → dos caracoles. (one snail → two snails)

Ending of a noun with “s

There are two ways to convert a noun ending in “s” to the plural. First, when the noun contains a syllable or the last syllable is stressed, “es” is added to the end of the word.

• un gas → dos gases. (one gas → two gases)
• un discurso tailandés → dos discursos tailandeses. (one Thai speech → two Thai speeches)

Second, when the noun ends with an “s”, is longer than one syllable, and the last syllable is unstressed, nothing is added to the end of the word. In other words, this kind of noun is invariable.

• un anamnesis → dos anamnesis. (one history → two histories)

Ending of a noun with “z”

If a common noun ends in “z”, in the plural, simply delete the final “z” and add “ces”. In other words, replace the “z” with “ces”.

• una vez → dos veces. (once → twice)

Conservation of the tonic syllable in the plural

In order for the accent of a word not to change when converting it to the plural, it is sometimes necessary to add an accent. We have seen this with the noun “tailandés” in which the accent of the “e” is removed when it is in the plural.

• tensión → tensiones (tension → tensions)

In this case, the “o” is accented in the singular and the word loses its accent when it is put in the plural.

• orden → órdenes (order → orders)

In this example, an accent has been added to the “o” so that the tonic syllable is retained.

Some exceptions

There are some exceptions regarding the plural of nouns. These are found in the nouns “carácter” which forms “caracteres” (the accent is removed), “régimen” which gives “regímenes” and in “espécimen” which makes “especímenes” in the plural.

Thus, the plural of nouns in Spanish revolves around the addition of the “s” or “es” at the end of the word. However, it seems important to pay attention to some peculiarities and exceptions in order to form the plural of each noun in Spanish properly.

👉 Practice ! Exercise 1 / Exercise 2

👉 Next lesson: Compound nouns & words

👉 Previous leson: Gender of nouns

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