A1
ser — permanent being
The present tense of ser, what it is used for, and how it differs from estar.
| soy | I am |
| eres | you are |
| es | he / she / it is |
| somos | we are |
| sois | you are (Spain) |
| son | they are |
Nothing resembles the infinitive. It is learnt as six words.
Soy profesor.
I-am teacher
I’m a teacher.
Somos de Inglaterra.
we-are of England
We’re from England.
What ser covers
Identity, origin, profession, material, possession, and the time.
| ¿Quién es? | who someone is |
| Es de Madrid. | where they are from |
| Es médica. | what they do |
| Es de madera. | what it is made of |
| Es mío. | whose it is |
| Son las tres. | the time |
Son las tres.
they-are the (f.pl.) three
It’s three o’clock.
The time is plural in Spanish, because horas is understood. One o’clock is the exception: es la una.
Professions take no article
Mi hermana es abogada.
my sister is lawyer (f.)
My sister’s a lawyer.
See articles.
Not for location
This is the line that has to be drawn early. Where something is takes estar, however permanent it looks.
Madrid es en España.
Madrid está en España.
Location always takes estar, even for a city that is not going anywhere. The one exception is an event: la fiesta es en mi casa, because a party happens rather than sits.
See ser against estar.