soy
/soi/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'am' translates to Spanish as soy.
soy is the first-person singular present form of the verb to be. It is used to express identity, personal characteristics, professions, nationalities and permanent conditions. For example, you would use it to state your profession, such as in Soy profesor (I am a teacher).
Which one should you use?
In Spanish, there are two ways to say 'to be'. Use soy when describing permanent or essential characteristics, identity or nationality. This contrasts with estar, which is used for temporary states, emotions and locations.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a first-person singular form, soy inherently includes the subject 'I'. Because of this, the pronoun yo is often omitted.
How do you pronounce it?
/soi/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use soy to describe temporary locations or moods. Instead, you should use estoy.
Did you know?
- The word soy is a homonym for the Spanish word for 'soy', the legume. While they sound the same, the meaning depends entirely on the context of the sentence.
- In Spanish, the verb for identity ser is used to describe the time of day, such as son las tres for 'it is three o'clock'.
- The word soy comes from the Latin sum, meaning 'I am'.
Examples in context
- Soy amable y respetuoso(a).I am kind and respectful.
- Soy médico(a).I am a doctor.
- Soy mexicano(a).I am Mexican.
- Estoy cansado(a) hoy.I am tired today.
- Estoy feliz.I am happy.
- Estoy en casa.I am at home.
- Soy de España.I am from Spain.
- Soy muy alto.I am very tall.
- Soy estudiante de medicina.I am a medical student.
Example conversation
Javier and María are meeting for the first time at a party.
- JavierHola, soy Javier.Hello, I am Javier.
- MaríaMucho gusto, soy María.Nice to meet you, I am María.
- Javier¿Eres nueva en la ciudad?Are you new in the city?
- MaríaSí, soy nueva aquí.Yes, I am new here.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries soy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
