Ser vs estar, explained
Ser and estar both mean "to be". Ser says what something is: identity, origin, profession, time, what something is made of, and the characteristics that define it. Estar says how or where something is: location, a condition or state, and the result of a change. "Es aburrido" means he is boring; "está aburrido" means he is bored. Events are the exception to the location rule: where a party or a concert takes place uses ser.
Updated 24 October 2026
Ser and estar in one table
English has one verb "to be"; Spanish splits its work between two. Every common use falls on one side or the other, and the table puts them all on one page. The sections below take the two columns one at a time.
| Use | Verb | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity, description | ser | Ana es mi hermana. | Ana is my sister. |
| Origin, nationality | ser | Somos de México. | We are from Mexico. |
| Profession | ser | Mi padre es médico. | My father is a doctor. |
| Time and dates | ser | Son las tres. Hoy es lunes. | It is three o'clock. Today is Monday. |
| Material, ownership | ser | La mesa es de madera. El libro es mío. | The table is wooden. The book is mine. |
| Where an event takes place | ser | La fiesta es en mi casa. | The party is at my house. |
| Passive voice | ser | El puente fue construido en 1890. | The bridge was built in 1890. |
| Location of a thing or person | estar | Madrid está en el centro de España. | Madrid is in the centre of Spain. |
| Condition, mood | estar | Estoy cansado. | I am tired. |
| Result of a change | estar | La ventana está rota. | The window is broken. |
| An action in progress | estar | Estamos comiendo. | We are eating. |
The rule behind the table
The usual shortcut is "ser for permanent, estar for temporary". It works often enough to be dangerous. Death is permanent, and Spanish says "está muerto". Being young is temporary, and Spanish says "es joven". A better question is: am I saying what this is, or how it is right now?
Ser classifies. It puts the subject in a category: a nationality, a job, a kind of person, a time of day. Estar describes a state the subject is in, often one that came about or could change, and where the subject is. Death fits the second description, not the first: being dead is a state something has arrived at, like being broken or being closed, so it takes estar however final it is.
.
The plant is dead.
Select a word to see why it is there.
estáAuxiliary“is”
- Why this word
- Present of estar, third person singular
- Estar, not ser, although nothing is more permanent than death. Spanish treats being dead as a state the plant has reached through a change, the way it treats broken or closed. "La planta es muerta" is not Spanish.
- Dictionary
- estar · verb — to be (location, state, condition)
In this sentence
- está · Auxiliary:
- Estar, not ser, although nothing is more permanent than death. Spanish treats being dead as a state the plant has reached through a change, the way it treats broken or closed. "La planta es muerta" is not Spanish.
The same adjective can often do either job, which is why the choice of verb changes the meaning. With ser, the adjective says what the subject is like in general. With estar, it says how the subject is, looks or feels at this moment, sometimes against what you would expect of it: "¡qué alto estás!" said to a child you have not seen for a year means "how tall you have got!", not that the child is tall as a fact.
- Mi abuela es muy guapa.My grandmother is very beautiful. (She is a beautiful person.)
- ¡Qué guapa estás hoy!You look lovely today! (How you are today.)
- La sopa es fría.The soup is a cold soup. (A gazpacho, served cold.)
- La sopa está fría.The soup has gone cold.
Ser: what something is
Ser answers "what is it?" and "what is it like?". It names who someone is (es mi hermana), where they come from (somos de México), what they do for a living (es médico), what a thing is made of (es de madera), whose it is (es mío) and the traits that make it what it is (es alto, es simpático, es caro). It also tells the time and the date: son las tres, hoy es lunes, mañana es mi cumpleaños.
A profession is the case learners get wrong most, because a job can feel temporary. Spanish does not care how long you have done it: a job is a category you belong to, so it takes ser even on your first day. Notice also that there is no article before a bare profession. "Es enfermera" is a nurse; add an adjective and the article comes back, "es una enfermera excelente".
.
My sister is a nurse.
Select a word to see why it is there.
esAuxiliary“is”
- Why this word
- Present of ser, third person singular
- Ser puts the subject in a category, here a profession. It stays ser whether she has been a nurse for twenty years or started on Monday: a profession is what someone is, not a state they are in.
- Dictionary
- ser · verb — to be (identity, origin, profession, characteristics)
- Alternatives
- está de ("está de enfermera": working as a nurse for now, as a stopgap)
In this sentence
- es · Auxiliary:
- Ser puts the subject in a category, here a profession. It stays ser whether she has been a nurse for twenty years or started on Monday: a profession is what someone is, not a state they are in.
- enfermera · Object:
- The predicate: what she is. Spanish puts no article before a bare profession, so there is no una here. Add an adjective and the article returns: "es una enfermera excelente".
Ser is also the verb of the passive voice: ser plus a past participle that agrees with the subject, with por for whoever did it. "La casa fue construida por mi abuelo" is about the act of building. Compare estar with the same participle in the next section, which describes the state the act left behind.
- Somos de Buenos Aires, pero vivimos en Roma.We are from Buenos Aires, but we live in Rome.
- Las sillas son de plástico.The chairs are made of plastic.
- ¿De quién es esta chaqueta? Es de Marta.Whose jacket is this? It is Marta's.
- Hoy es jueves y son las nueve y media.Today is Thursday and it is half past nine.
- Mi novio es muy simpático, pero un poco tímido.My boyfriend is very nice, but a bit shy.
Estar: where something is and how it is
Estar answers "where is it?" and "how is it?". For the location of a person or a thing it is always estar, and permanence plays no part: Madrid has not moved in a thousand years and still "está en el centro de España". The one thing to watch is the article. Estar locates something already known, with a definite article or a name; to say that something exists somewhere, use hay: "hay unas llaves en la mesa", there are some keys on the table.
.
The keys are on the table.
Select a word to see why it is there.
estánVerb“are”
- Why this word
- Present of estar, third person plural
- Estar gives the location of a person or thing. How long the keys stay there makes no difference: a city that has stood in the same place for centuries also "está" where it is. Plural, to agree with llaves.
- Dictionary
- estar · verb — to be (location, state, condition)
- Alternatives
- se encuentran (are found, more formal)
In this sentence
- están · Verb:
- Estar gives the location of a person or thing. How long the keys stay there makes no difference: a city that has stood in the same place for centuries also "está" where it is. Plural, to agree with llaves.
For "how is it?", estar covers moods and feelings (estoy contento, está nerviosa), health (¿cómo estás?, está enfermo), and the condition things are in (la habitación está limpia, el café está frío). It also gives the state an action leaves behind: estar plus a participle. "La puerta está cerrada" says the door is shut now; "la puerta fue cerrada" with ser says that someone shut it. The first is a state you can see, the second an event.
Two more uses belong only to estar. It forms the progressive with the gerund: "estamos comiendo", we are eating; ser never does. And "estar de" plus a noun describes a temporary situation: estar de vacaciones (on holiday), estar de pie (standing), estar de acuerdo (to agree), and estar de camarero, working as a waiter for now, which is how Spanish talks about a job you do not identify with.
- ¿Dónde está la estación?Where is the station?
- Mi madre está enferma desde el lunes.My mother has been ill since Monday.
- Los platos ya están lavados.The dishes are already washed.
- ¿Qué estás haciendo?What are you doing?
- Este verano está de camarero en un hotel.This summer he is working as a waiter in a hotel.
Events: where something happens takes ser
Here is the exception that catches everyone who has just learnt "estar for location". When the subject is an event, something that happens rather than something that sits in a place, the location takes ser. A party, a meeting, a concert, a wedding, an exam or a match "es en" a place, because ser here means "take place". The question is not whether the sentence gives a location, but whether the subject is a thing or an event.
.
The meeting is (takes place) in my office.
Select a word to see why it is there.
esVerb“is, takes place”
- Why this word
- Present of ser, third person singular
- With an event as its subject, ser means "take place". The sentence gives a location, yet the verb is ser, because it says where the meeting happens. "La reunión está en mi oficina" is the classic slip.
- Dictionary
- ser · verb — to be; to take place (of an event)
- Alternatives
- tiene lugar (takes place, more formal)
In this sentence
- es · Verb:
- With an event as its subject, ser means "take place". The sentence gives a location, yet the verb is ser, because it says where the meeting happens. "La reunión está en mi oficina" is the classic slip.
The same noun can go either way depending on what it refers to. "La boda es en la catedral" is where the wedding happens. "Los novios están en la catedral" is where the couple are. And the place itself always takes estar: "la catedral está en el centro". You will hear "¿dónde está la fiesta?" in casual speech, but "¿dónde es la fiesta?" is the standard choice and never wrong.
- El concierto es en el estadio.The concert is (takes place) at the stadium.
- El estadio está a las afueras.The stadium is on the outskirts.
- ¿Dónde es el examen? En el aula 12.Where is the exam? In room 12.
- La fiesta fue en casa de Lucía.The party was at Lucía's.
Adjectives that change meaning
With these adjectives, the verb chooses between two different words in English. Ser gives the trait, estar the state.
| Adjective | With ser | With estar |
|---|---|---|
| aburrido | boring | bored |
| listo | clever | ready |
| malo | bad (a bad person or thing) | ill, or gone off |
| rico | rich | delicious |
| verde | green | unripe |
| vivo | lively, sharp | alive |
| orgulloso | arrogant | proud (of something) |
| seguro | safe | sure, certain |
Aburrido shows the pattern best, because the two meanings point in opposite directions. With ser it is the effect someone has on other people; with estar it is how that person feels. Here is the same sentence twice, with only the verb changed.
.
My brother is boring: that is the kind of person he is.
Select a word to see why it is there.
esAuxiliary“is”
- Why this word
- Present of ser, third person singular
- Ser makes aburrido a trait: it says what kind of person he is. With ser, aburrido means boring, the effect he has on other people.
- Dictionary
- ser · verb — to be (identity, origin, profession, characteristics)
- Alternatives
- está (bored: how he feels right now)
In this sentence
- es · Auxiliary:
- Ser makes aburrido a trait: it says what kind of person he is. With ser, aburrido means boring, the effect he has on other people.
- aburrido · Predicate:
- Boring. It is the same word as in "está aburrido"; only the verb tells you which English word it is. Masculine singular, agreeing with hermano.
.
My brother is bored: that is how he feels right now.
Select a word to see why it is there.
estáAuxiliary“is”
- Why this word
- Present of estar, third person singular
- Estar makes aburrido a state: how he feels at the moment, which a game or a phone call could change. With estar, aburrido means bored.
- Dictionary
- estar · verb — to be (location, state, condition)
- Alternatives
- es (boring: what kind of person he is); se aburre (gets bored, for something that happens regularly)
In this sentence
- está · Auxiliary:
- Estar makes aburrido a state: how he feels at the moment, which a game or a phone call could change. With estar, aburrido means bored.
- aburrido · Predicate:
- Bored. It comes from the participle of aburrir, to bore, so with estar it describes the result: something has bored him.
The other adjectives in the table work the same way. "Es listo" is a judgement about someone's mind; "está listo" says the preparations are done. "Es malo" is a moral verdict or a verdict on quality; "está malo" is someone off sick, or milk that has gone off. Get the verb wrong with these and you do not sound foreign, you say something else.
- Tu hermano es muy listo.Your brother is very clever.
- ¿Estás listo? Nos vamos.Are you ready? We are leaving.
- Este barrio es seguro.This neighbourhood is safe.
- No estoy seguro.I am not sure.
- ¡Qué rica está la tortilla!The omelette is delicious!
Explain ser vs estar at your levelwith Plus
Common mistakes
NotEl banco es en la plaza.
ButEl banco está en la plaza.
The location of a thing or a person takes estar, however permanent it is. Only events take ser for where they happen.
NotMi hermana está profesora.
ButMi hermana es profesora.
A profession is a category, so it takes ser, even if she only started last week. For a stopgap job, Spanish says "está de profesora", with de.
NotSoy nervioso antes del examen.
ButEstoy nervioso antes del examen.
"Soy nervioso" says you are a nervous person by nature. Nerves before an exam are a state, so they take estar.
NotEl árbol es muerto.
ButEl árbol está muerto.
Spanish treats death as a state reached, like broken or closed, so muerto takes estar however permanent it is.
NotEstán las tres.
ButSon las tres.
Clock time takes ser: es la una, son las dos, son las tres.
NotLa fiesta está en mi casa.
ButLa fiesta es en mi casa.
A party is an event, and where an event takes place is said with ser. Estar is for where things and people are.
Practise these with the tutorwith Pro
Check yourself
1 / 10
The chemist's is next to the bank. Which word fills the gap?
La farmacia ___ al lado del banco.
Answer
es: Ser would treat the chemist's as an event taking place next to the bank. Buildings and things are located with estar.
hay: Hay says that something exists somewhere and goes with an indefinite noun: "hay una farmacia al lado del banco". With la farmacia, a known place, it does not fit.
está ✓: Right. The location of a place or thing takes estar, even though the chemist's is not going anywhere.
2 / 10
My uncle is a lawyer. Which words fill the gap?
Mi tío ___ abogado.
Answer
está: Estar would describe a state, which a profession is not. For a temporary job the form is "está de abogado", with de.
es ✓: Right. A profession is a category, so it takes ser, with no article before the bare noun.
es un: With a bare profession Spanish drops the article. It comes back only with an adjective: "es un abogado muy bueno".
3 / 10
Before the interview, I'm very nervous. Which word fills the gap?
Antes de la entrevista, ___ muy nerviosa.
Answer
soy: "Soy muy nerviosa" would say you are a nervous person by nature, which is not what "before the interview" is about.
tengo: Tener takes a noun, "tengo nervios"; it cannot take the adjective nerviosa.
estoy ✓: Right. Nerves before an interview are a state you are in, so they take estar.
4 / 10
My brother's goldfish is dead. Which word fills the gap?
El pez de mi hermano ___ muerto.
Answer
fue: "Fue muerto" is an old passive meaning "was killed", not a description of a dead fish. Modern Spanish would say "lo mataron".
está ✓: Right. Being dead is a state the fish has reached, so it takes estar, however final it is.
es: Ser would follow the "permanent" shortcut, but Spanish treats death as a state, not as a characteristic.
5 / 10
It's ten past one. Which word fills the gap?
___ la una y diez.
Answer
Está: Estar never tells the time. Times of day are said with ser.
Son: Son is the right verb for two o'clock onwards (son las dos), but la una is singular and takes es.
Es ✓: Right. Clock time takes ser, and la una is singular, so the verb is singular too.
6 / 10
You want to know where Saturday's party is being held. Which word fills the gap?
¿Dónde ___ la fiesta del sábado?
Answer
está: Estar treats the party like an object sitting somewhere. You will hear it in casual speech, but ser is the standard verb for where an event happens.
es ✓: Right. A party is an event, and where an event takes place is said with ser.
hay: "¿Dónde hay una fiesta?" asks where any party can be found. With la fiesta del sábado, a known event, the verb is ser.
7 / 10
Build the sentence: my parents come from Lima.
“My parents are from Lima.”
Answer
Mis padres son de Lima
Ser + de + a place gives where someone comes from. "Están en Lima" would say where they are now.
8 / 10
Build the sentence: the children are watching a film.
“The children are watching a film.”
Answer
Los niños están viendo una película
An action in progress is estar + gerund. Ser never forms the progressive.
9 / 10
Fill the gap with the right form of ser or estar. "The museum is closed on Mondays."
El museo ___ cerrado los lunes.
Answer
está
Closed is the state the museum is in, the result of someone closing it, so it takes estar. Ser with a participle is the passive, which describes the act of closing, not the state the museum is in.
10 / 10
Fill the gap with the right form of ser or estar, speaking to a friend. "Are you sure?"
¿___ segura?
Answer
Estás / estás
Seguro with estar means sure, certain. With ser, seguro describes what someone or something is like (safe, reliable), so "¿eres segura?" does not ask whether she is certain.
Ser and estar in Epsylo
Every Spanish sentence you translate or break down in Epsylo marks the verb and explains it in the sentence where it stands: whether the form is of ser or estar, and which use the sentence makes of it, from profession and origin to location, state or an event taking place. Translate "I am bored" and "I am boring", and the breakdown shows the same adjective with two verbs, and why.
Questions
- Is ser permanent and estar temporary?
- As a first rule of thumb, often, but it fails on common words: "está muerto" (he is dead) uses estar, and "es joven" (she is young) uses ser. The surer rule: ser says what something is, estar says how or where it is.
- Do you say "es en" or "está en" for a location?
- "Está en" for where a person or thing is: "el museo está en el centro". "Es en" for where an event takes place: "el concierto es en el estadio".
- Is it "estoy casado" or "soy casado"?
- Both are heard. "Estoy casado" is the more common in Spain and much of Latin America, treating marriage as a state; "soy casado" presents it as a category you belong to and is common in parts of Latin America.
- Which verb is used for the progressive, "I am eating"?
- Estar, with the gerund: "estoy comiendo". Ser is never used to form the progressive.
- Is the date said with ser or estar?
- Both, in different patterns. "Hoy es lunes" and "hoy es 5 de mayo" use ser. "Estamos a 5 de mayo" and "estamos en otoño" use estar with a or en, as if the date were a point we have reached. Clock time is always ser: "son las tres".
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