Estar vs Ser
Everyone seems to love Spanish. As a language freely taught in America, Spanish has become one of the most studied languages. Spanish seems to have a very sweet and surrendering tone which entices many people to study and master it. Like all other languages, if one does not get accustomed to it, Spanish takes much effort to master. There are verbs that are always interchanged and misused because it is difficult to tell these words apart. Two such common Spanish verbs that are easily confused with one another are Ser and Estar. Both Ser and Estar are translated to English as “to be”, but both have different meanings.
What is Ser?
Ser is the English equivalent to the verb “to be” and is used to define physical characteristics such as colour, texture and so on if the verb is directed to an object. It also depicts personality and character as, gender, race and nationality. Ser is used to relate to the identity of an object or a human being. In referring to “what” an apple is, the verb ser is used. There are numerous variations for ser as it is an irregular verb. Students trying to master Spanish must get familiarized with the following conjugations: soy, eres, es, somos, sois, and son.
What is Estar?
Estar, on the other hand, is the condition of the object and translates itself to “to be.” It is used to depict the mood, and emotions. Ser relates to the location of an item as well as a person or a group of people. In short, estar relates to the state of an object or person. The verb estar is used to speak about the “how” clause with regard to the object. It also is an irregular verb conjugated as estoy, estas, estamos, esta, estan and estais. Since estar is an irregular verb, it is important to learn the different conjugations with regards to different tenses in order to use them properly in different contexts.
What is the difference between Ser and Estar?
Both ser and estar is translated as the verb “to be” in English and, therefore, can be difficult to discern at first. However, with continuous practice and learning, the differences are easy to spot. Estar deals with the condition or the “how” aspect of an object or person. It is used to depict the mood or the condition of an object or person. Ser is used to refer to the physical aspect and the “what” of an object or person.
Summary:
Ser vs Estar
• Ser and Estar are verbs in Spanish that means “to be” when translated in English.
• Both verbs are irregular. Both have different conjugations when it comes to different tenses.
• Ser is related to the physical aspect of an item or person while estar relates to the condition.
• Ser deals with the “what” while Estar on the other hand deals with “how.”
• When used on a person, ser represents the personality and characteristics while estar represents the emotions, feelings and mood of an individual