ser
/ˈseɾ/
The English phrase 'to be' is translated into Spanish as ser.
The verb ser is used to express permanent or essential characteristics, such as professions.
Which one should you use?
Spanish has two verbs for 'to be'. Use ser for permanent or essential characteristics, whereas estar is used for temporary states, feelings, locations or conditions.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb ser is highly irregular in the present tense, using the forms soy, eres, es, somos, sois and son. Additionally, the phrase Vosotros/Vosotras estáis is used to mean 'You all are' in an informal context.
How do you pronounce it?
ser is pronounced /ˈseɾ/.
Did you know?
- While ser is used for essential characteristics, using it with certain adjectives can completely change the meaning of the word compared to estar. For example, ser aburrido means 'to be boring' while estar aburrido means 'to be bored'.
- The modern Spanish verb ser actually absorbed another Old Spanish verb seer, which came from the Latin word for 'sit'.
- The verb ser is used to tell time, such as 'Son las tres', which literally translates to 'They are the three'.
Examples in context
- Va a ser así.It's going to be like that.This sentence is useful for describing how something is going to be using ser.Tatoeba #10067312 by manufrutos, translation #10067125 by shekitten
- Voy a ser tío.I'm going to be an uncle.This sentence is useful for expressing a future state of being an uncle using ser.Tatoeba #3010082 by marcelostockle, translation #2545411 by CK
- ¿Qué vas a ser?What are you going to be?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's future using ser.Tatoeba #1225847 by wallebot, translation #16262 by AlanF_US
- Ustedes están en la reunión.You all are in the meeting.
- Tú estás emocionado por el concierto.You are excited about the concert.
- Vosotros estáis en la playa.You all are at the beach.
- Vos estás hablando muy rápido.You are speaking very fast.
- Estoy felizI am happy
- Estoy en casaI am at home
- Están de vacacionesThey are on vacation
- 1251 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are talking about their professional identities.
- LucíaDaniel, ¿quieres ser arquitecto?Daniel, do you want to be an architect?
- DanielSí, quiero ser un buen profesional.Yes, I want to be a good professional.
- LucíaElla dice que ser arquitecto es difícil.She says that being an architect is difficult.
- DanielLo sé, pero seré muy trabajador.I know, but I will be very hardworking.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ser, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ser, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
