Ser vs. Estar

Q: What is the difference between ser and estar?

Both mean "to be." Ser says what something is: its identity, origin, job, and the traits that define it (Soy de Chile, Es alta). Estar says how or where something is: its location, condition, or mood (Estoy en Chile, Está cansada).

Q: What is the difference between "¿Cómo eres?" and "¿Cómo estás?"

¿Cómo estás? means "How are you?" (right now). ¿Cómo eres? means "What are you like?" (your personality or looks).

Adapted from The Animated Book of Spanish, an interactive Spanish grammar book.

Spanish has two verbs for to be: ser and estar. In short, ser says what something is, and estar says how or where it is.

Ser: what it isEstar: how or where it is
Ser: what it is
Soy de Chile.
I’m from Chile.
Estar: how or where it is
Estoy en Chile.
I’m in Chile.
Ser: what it is
Mi hermana es profesora.
My sister is a teacher.
Estar: how or where it is
Mi hermana está en clase.
My sister is in class.
Ser: what it is
La sopa es de tomate.
It’s tomato soup.
Estar: how or where it is
La sopa está fría.
The soup is cold.
Ser: what it is
¿Cómo eres?
What are you like?
Estar: how or where it is
¿Cómo estás?
How are you?

On this page

When to use ser: DOCTOR

Use ser for what something is: its identity and the traits that define it. The acronym DOCTOR covers most uses.

Use ser for

Descriptionwhat someone or something looks like
Mi padre es alto y moreno.
My dad is tall and dark-haired.
Las casas aquí son muy grandes.
The houses here are really big.
Occupationjobs and roles
Soy enfermera.
I’m a nurse.
Mis hermanos son abogados.
My brothers are lawyers.
Characteristicspersonality and nationality
Eres muy simpático.
You’re really nice.
Mi novia es peruana.
My girlfriend is Peruvian.
Timedays, dates, and the time
Hoy es lunes y son las tres.
Today is Monday, and it’s three o’clock.
Mi cumpleaños es el 5 de mayo.
My birthday is May 5.
Originwhere someone or something is from
Somos de Colombia.
We’re from Colombia.
¿De dónde eres?
Where are you from?
Relationshipshow people are connected
Ana es mi prima.
Ana is my cousin.
Carlos y yo somos amigos.
Carlos and I are friends.

Ser de also says what something is made of and who it belongs to:

La mesa es de madera.
The table is made of wood.
Este libro es de Pablo.
This book is Pablo’s.

When to use estar: PLACE

Use estar for how or where something is: where it's located, and the state or mood it's in. The acronym PLACE covers most uses.

Use estar for

Positionsitting, standing, or lying down
Los niños están sentados.
The kids are sitting down.
Estoy de pie en el autobús.
I’m standing on the bus.
Locationwhere someone or something is
El baño está al fondo.
The bathroom is at the back.
¿Dónde estás? —Estoy en casa.
Where are you? —I’m at home.
Actionwhat’s happening right now, with ‑ando or ‑iendo
Estamos cenando.
We’re having dinner.
Ella está hablando por teléfono.
She’s on the phone.
Conditionhow someone or something is at the moment
La puerta está abierta.
The door is open.
Mi hermano está enfermo.
My brother is sick.
Emotionhow someone feels
Estoy muy contenta.
I’m really happy.
¿Estás nervioso?
Are you nervous?

That includes health, and how someone looks or seems right now:

¿Cómo está tu abuela? —Está mejor, gracias.
How’s your grandmother? —She’s better, thanks.
¡Qué guapa estás hoy!
You look great today!

Permanent vs. temporary?

You'll often hear that ser is for permanent things and estar is for temporary ones. That works a lot of the time, but not always. Some permanent things take estar:

Mi abuelo está muerto.
My grandfather is dead.
Permanent, but it’s a state he’s in.
Madrid está en España.
Madrid is in Spain.
Madrid isn’t going anywhere, but it’s a location.

And some temporary things take ser:

Eres muy joven.
You’re very young.
Youth doesn’t last, but it describes who you are.
Son las ocho.
It’s eight o’clock.
Gone in a minute, but the time always takes ser.

Adjectives that change meaning

Some adjectives mean something different with each verb. With ser, they describe what someone or something is like. With estar, they describe how it is right now.

With serWith estar
aburrido
With ser
Juan es aburrido.
Juan is boring.
With estar
Juan está aburrido.
Juan is bored.
listo
With ser
Mi hija es muy lista.
My daughter is very clever.
With estar
Mi hija está lista.
My daughter is ready.
malo
With ser
Ese perro es malo.
That dog is bad.
With estar
Ese perro está malo.
That dog is sick.
rico
With ser
Sus padres son ricos.
His parents are rich.
With estar
El pastel está rico.
The cake is delicious.
verde
With ser
La manzana es verde.
The apple is green.
With estar
La manzana está verde.
The apple is unripe.
seguro
With ser
Es un barrio seguro.
It’s a safe neighborhood.
With estar
Estoy seguro.
I’m sure.
vivo
With ser
Mi abuela es muy viva.
My grandma is very sharp.
With estar
Mi abuela está viva.
My grandma is alive.

Where events take place

Location normally takes estar. The exception is events: parties, concerts, meetings, and classes. To say where or when an event takes place, use ser.

An event: serA place: estar
An event: ser
La fiesta es en mi casa.
The party is at my house.
A place: estar
Mi casa está en el centro.
My house is downtown.
An event: ser
El concierto es en el estadio.
The concert is at the stadium.
A place: estar
El estadio está cerca.
The stadium is nearby.
An event: ser
La reunión es en la sala 4.
The meeting is in room 4.
A place: estar
La sala 4 está en el segundo piso.
Room 4 is on the second floor.

With -ando and past participles

Estar + the -ando / -iendo form is the progressive, for what's happening right now. It never uses ser.

Estoy trabajando.
I’m working.
¿Qué estás haciendo?
What are you doing?

With a past participle, estar describes the state something is in. Ser describes something being done to it (the passive voice, mostly used in writing).

Estar: a stateSer: an action
Estar: a state
La tienda está cerrada.
The store is closed.
Ser: an action
La tienda fue cerrada por la policía.
The store was closed by the police.
Estar: a state
La carta está escrita.
The letter is written.
Ser: an action
La carta fue escrita en 1810.
The letter was written in 1810.

Common mistakes English speakers make

Using ser for how you feel
Incorrect:Soy cansado.
Correct:Estoy cansado.
Being tired is a condition, so it takes estar.
Saying soy aburrido for “I’m bored”
Incorrect:Soy aburrido.
Correct:Estoy aburrido.
Soy aburrido means I'm boring. To say you're bored, use estar.
Using estar for where you’re from
Incorrect:Estoy de México.
Correct:Soy de México.
Origin takes ser, even if you live somewhere else now.
Using ser for where something is
Incorrect:¿Dónde es el baño?
Correct:¿Dónde está el baño?
Location takes estar.
Using estar with a job
Incorrect:Estoy profesor.
Correct:Soy profesor.
Jobs take ser. For a temporary job, you'll also hear estar de: Estoy de camarero este verano (I'm working as a waiter this summer).
Using estar for where an event is
Incorrect:La fiesta está en mi casa.
Correct:La fiesta es en mi casa.
To say where an event takes place, use ser.

Questions about ser and estar

What is the difference between ser and estar?

Both mean "to be." Ser says what something is: its identity, origin, job, and the traits that define it (Soy de Chile, Es alta). Estar says how or where something is: its location, condition, or mood (Estoy en Chile, Está cansada).

When do you use ser?

Remember DOCTOR: Description, Occupation, Characteristics, Time, Origin, and Relationships. Es alto, Soy enfermera, Eres simpático, Son las tres, Somos de Colombia, Ana es mi prima. Ser also says where and when an event takes place: La fiesta es en mi casa.

When do you use estar?

Remember PLACE: Position, Location, Action, Condition, and Emotion. Están sentados, El baño está al fondo, Estamos cenando, La puerta está abierta, Estoy contenta.

Is ser for permanent things and estar for temporary things?

Often, but not always. Death and the location of a city are permanent, but they take estar: Está muerto, Madrid está en España. Youth and the time of day don't last, but they take ser: Eres joven, Son las ocho. It's more reliable to ask whether you're saying what something is (ser) or how or where it is (estar).

Why is it "está muerto" and not "es muerto"?

Being dead is permanent, but it's a state someone is in, not a description of who they are, so it takes estar: Mi abuelo está muerto.

What is the difference between "¿Cómo eres?" and "¿Cómo estás?"

¿Cómo estás? means "How are you?" (right now). ¿Cómo eres? means "What are you like?" (your personality or looks).

Next upHay: there is, there areHay for "there is" and "there are," hay vs. está, había and hubo, and hay que.

When to use ser: DOCTOR

When to use estar: PLACE

Permanent vs. temporary?

Adjectives that change meaning

Where events take place

With -ando and past participles

Common mistakes English speakers make

Using ser for how you feel

Saying soy aburrido for “I’m bored”

Using estar for where you’re from

Using ser for where something is

Using estar with a job

Using estar for where an event is

Questions about ser and estar

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