son
/son/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'they are' is translated as son.
son is used to describe the identity, origin or permanent characteristics of a group of people or things.
Which one should you use?
Spanish distinguishes between different types of 'to be'. Use son (from the verb *ser*) to describe permanent characteristics, identity or origin. In contrast, use están (from the verb *estar*) when referring to temporary states or locations.
How does it change in a sentence?
son is the third-person plural present indicative form of the verb ser.
How do you pronounce it?
/son/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the phrase son can be used to tell time when referring to a plural number of hours. For example, to say 'they are three o'clock', a speaker uses son las tres.
- While son means 'they are' in this context, it is also the Spanish word for 'sound'. This creates a homonym that can change the meaning of a sentence entirely depending on the context.
- Because Spanish is a pro-drop language, you often do not need to say 'they' before son. The word son alone is enough to communicate 'they are'.
Examples in context
- Son los más rápidos.They are the fastest.This sentence is useful for describing the speed of a group using son.Tatoeba #5027657 by don_ramon, translation #8160849 by magnificentgoddess
- Ellos son muy viejos.They are very old.This sentence is useful for describing the age of a group using son.Tatoeba #1585076 by marcelostockle, translation #1568819 by Sharaf78
- Ellos son mis amigos.They are my friends.This sentence is useful for identifying a group of friends using son.Tatoeba #5057686 by cueyayotl, translation #306708 by CK
- Son profesionales muy competentes.They are highly competent professionals.
- Están comprometidos con su trabajo.They are committed to their work.
- Se encuentran en una reunión importante.They are in an important meeting.
- Son mis mejores amigos.They are my best friends.
- Están muy emocionados por el concierto.They are very excited about the concert.
- Andan de vacaciones en la playa.They are on vacation at the beach.
- 243 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel are looking at a group of students in a park.
- María¿Quiénes son ellos?Who are they?
- DanielSon los nuevos estudiantes.They are the new students.
- MaríaParecen muy amables.They seem very kind.
- DanielSí, son muy simpáticos.Yes, they are very nice.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
