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SER — The Permanent "To Be"
Ser is used for permanent or essential characteristics — identity, origin, profession, inherent qualities, time, and material. Think: what something fundamentally is.
ser (to be (permanent))
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | soy | I am |
| tú | eres | you are (informal) |
| él / ella / usted | es | he / she is / you are (formal) |
| nosotros/as | somos | we are |
| vosotros/as | sois | you all are (Spain) |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | son | they / you all are |
When to use SER:
- Identity: Soy Karen. (I am Karen.)
- Origin / nationality: Soy de Colombia. (I am from Colombia.)
- Profession: Ella es maestra. (She is a teacher.)
- Inherent characteristics: El cielo es azul. (The sky is blue.)
- Time and dates: Hoy es lunes. (Today is Monday.)
- Material / composition: La mesa es de madera. (The table is made of wood.)
- Events taking place somewhere: La fiesta es en mi casa. (The party is at my house.)
Which sentence uses SER correctly?
ESTAR — States, Location & Ongoing Actions
Estar is used for temporary states, feelings, locations, and ongoing actions. Think: how something is right now.
estar (to be (states / location))
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | estoy | I am |
| tú | estás | you are |
| él / ella / usted | está | he / she is / you are (formal) |
| nosotros/as | estamos | we are |
| vosotros/as | estáis | you all are (Spain) |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | están | they / you all are |
When to use ESTAR:
- Location: Estoy en casa. (I am at home.)
- Feelings / emotions: Estoy feliz hoy. (I am happy today.)
- Health / physical condition: Ella está enferma. (She is sick.)
- Ongoing actions (estar + gerund): Estamos estudiando. (We are studying.)
- Temporary conditions: El café está caliente. (The coffee is hot.)
- Results of an action: La puerta está abierta. (The door is open.)
Which sentence uses ESTAR correctly?
SER vs ESTAR — Side-by-Side Comparison
Some adjectives change meaning completely depending on whether you use SER or ESTAR:
SER (essence / permanent)
Es aburrido. = He IS boring (personality)
Es malo. = He IS bad (person, character)
Es bueno. = He IS good (person)
Es listo. = He IS clever
Es seguro. = It IS safe
Es rico. = He IS wealthy
Es muerto. = He IS dead (deceased)
ESTAR (state / temporary)
Está aburrido. = He IS bored (right now)
Está malo. = He IS sick (right now)
Está bueno. = It TASTES good / He looks good
Está listo. = He IS ready (prepared)
Está seguro. = He IS sure / certain
Está rico. = It IS delicious (food)
Está muerto. = He IS dead (recently died)
The most important pair: ser aburrido (boring person) vs estar aburrido (bored right now). Same adjective, completely different meaning!
"La sopa está fría" means...?
Emotions & Conditions — Always ESTAR
All emotions, feelings, and physical states use estar because they are temporary:
| Spanish | IPA / Pronunciation | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| feliz / contento/a | /fe.ˈlis/ | happy, content | Estoy muy feliz hoy. — I am very happy today. |
| triste | /ˈtris.te/ | sad | Ella está triste. — She is sad. |
| cansado/a | /kan.ˈsa.ðo/ | tired | Estamos muy cansados. — We are very tired. |
| enfermo/a | /en.ˈfer.mo/ | sick | Él está enfermo. — He is sick. |
| ocupado/a | /o.ku.ˈpa.ðo/ | busy | Estoy muy ocupada. — I am very busy (f.). |
| preocupado/a | /preo.ku.ˈpa.ðo/ | worried | ¿Estás preocupado? — Are you worried? |
| emocionado/a | /emo.θjo.ˈna.ðo/ | excited | Estoy muy emocionada. — I'm very excited (f.). |
| nervioso/a | /ner.ˈβjo.so/ | nervous | Estamos nerviosos. — We are nervous. |
| enojado/a | /e.no.ˈxa.ðo/ | angry | Ella está enojada. — She is angry. |
| sorprendido/a | /sor.pren.ˈdi.ðo/ | surprised | Estoy sorprendido. — I am surprised. |
How do you say "She is nervous"?
SER — Personality, Appearance & Civil Status
The PDF from La Profe Karen organizes SER into clear categories. Here is the complete vocabulary for describing people permanently:
Personality — Personalidad
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| inteligente | intelligent |
| amable | kind, friendly |
| organizado/a | organized |
| respetuoso/a | respectful |
| gruñón/a | grumpy |
| alegre | joyful, cheerful |
Appearance — Apariencia
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| alto/a | tall |
| delgado/a | thin |
| gordo/a | fat |
| feo/a | ugly |
| grande | big, large |
| viejo/a | old |
| bello/a | beautiful |
Civil Status — Estado Civil
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| soltero/a | single |
| casado/a | married |
| divorciado/a | divorced |
| separado/a | separated |
ESTAR — Places & Actions
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| en casa | at home |
| en el trabajo | at work |
| en el cine | at the movies |
| en el bar | at the bar |
| en el parque | in the park |
| en problemas | in trouble |
| estudiando | studying (+ing form) |
Estar + -ando / -iendo is like English present progressive: Estoy estudiando = I am studying. Estoy comiendo = I am eating.
Ser vs Estar — When the Meaning Changes
Some adjectives can be used with both SER and ESTAR, but the meaning changes completely. This is one of the trickiest parts of Spanish:
| Adjective | With SER (permanent/inherent) | With ESTAR (temporary/state) |
|---|---|---|
| aburrido/a | SER: boring (personality) Él es aburrido. — He is boring. |
ESTAR: bored (feeling) Él está aburrido. — He is bored. |
| molesto/a | SER: annoying (personality) Ella es molesta. — She is annoying. |
ESTAR: upset (feeling) Ella está molesta. — She is upset. |
| orgulloso/a | SER: arrogant Es orgulloso. — He is arrogant. |
ESTAR: proud (right now) Está orgulloso de ti. — He is proud of you. |
| enfermo/a | SER: chronically/mentally ill Es enfermo. — He is (chronically) ill. |
ESTAR: sick (temporarily) Está enfermo hoy. — He is sick today. |
| viejo/a | SER: old (always) Es viejo. — He is old. |
ESTAR: look old (right now) Está viejo. — He looks old. |
| rico/a | SER: wealthy / always delicious Él es rico. — He is rich. |
ESTAR: delicious (this dish now) La sopa está rica. — The soup is delicious. |
| listo/a | SER: smart, clever Ella es lista. — She is smart. |
ESTAR: ready Ella está lista. — She is ready. |
| seguro/a | SER: safe (inherently) Es seguro. — It is safe. |
ESTAR: sure, certain Estoy seguro. — I am sure. |
| vivo/a | SER: clever, sharp Es vivo. — He is sharp/clever. |
ESTAR: alive Está vivo. — He is alive. |
| malo/a | SER: bad (character) Es malo. — He is a bad person. |
ESTAR: sick / taste bad Está malo. — He is sick. |
Key insight: SER describes what something/someone IS (identity, essence). ESTAR describes how something/someone IS RIGHT NOW (state, condition, location).
"Ella es lista" means she is...?
"La sopa está rica" means the soup is...?
Practice — Ser or Estar? Choose Correctly
For each adjective, decide: does it go with SER, ESTAR, or both? Think about whether it describes something permanent (SER) or temporary/situational (ESTAR).
inteligente — Personality trait (permanent)
aburrido — SER=boring, ESTAR=bored
soltero — Civil status
molesto — Feeling upset (temporary)
alegre — Personality trait
respetuoso — Personality trait
estudiando — Progressive action (-ando)
casado — Civil status
orgulloso — SER=arrogant, ESTAR=proud
americano — Nationality
enfermo — Temporary illness
viejo — SER=old, ESTAR=looks old
joven — SER=young, ESTAR=looks young
rico — SER=wealthy, ESTAR=delicious
en el parque — Location
estudiante — Occupation/identity
hombre — Gender/identity
-AR Verbs — The Largest Group
-AR verbs are the most common verb type in Spanish. Remove -AR and add these endings:
Endings: yo -o · tú -as · él/ella -a · nosotros -amos · vosotros -áis · ellos -an
hablar (to speak)
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablo | I speak |
| tú | hablas | you speak |
| él / ella / usted | habla | he / she / you speak(s) |
| nosotros/as | hablamos | we speak |
| vosotros/as | habláis | you all speak |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | hablan | they / you all speak |
15 essential -AR verbs:
| Spanish | IPA / Pronunciation | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| trabajar | to work | Trabajo todos los días. — I work every day. | |
| estudiar | to study | ¿Estudias español? — Do you study Spanish? | |
| escuchar | to listen | Escuchamos música. — We listen to music. | |
| hablar | to speak | Habla inglés muy bien. — She/he speaks English very well. | |
| necesitar | to need | Necesito ayuda. — I need help. | |
| llamar | to call | Te llamo mañana. — I'll call you tomorrow. | |
| mirar | to look at / watch | Miran la televisión. — They watch television. | |
| comprar | to buy | Compramos pan. — We buy bread. | |
| usar | to use | Uso el celular. — I use the phone. | |
| llevar | to carry / to wear | Lleva una chaqueta roja. — She/he is wearing a red jacket. | |
| caminar | to walk | Caminamos al parque. — We walk to the park. | |
| esperar | to wait / to hope | Espero el autobús. — I wait for the bus. | |
| pensar | to think | ¿Qué piensas? — What do you think? | |
| buscar | to look for | Busca las llaves. — She/he is looking for the keys. | |
| tomar | to take / to drink (beverage) | Tomo café cada mañana. — I drink coffee every morning. |
How do you say "They speak Spanish"?
-ER and -IR Verbs
-ER and -IR verbs share most endings. Only the nosotros and vosotros forms differ:
comer (to eat)
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | como | I eat |
| tú | comes | you eat |
| él / ella | come | he / she eats |
| nosotros | comemos | we eat |
| vosotros | coméis | you all eat |
| ellos | comen | they eat |
vivir (to live)
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | vivo | I live |
| tú | vives | you live |
| él / ella | vive | he / she lives |
| nosotros | vivimos | we live |
| vosotros | vivís | you all live |
| ellos | viven | they live |
More -ER / -IR verbs:
| Spanish | IPA / Pronunciation | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| beber | to drink | ¿Bebes café? — Do you drink coffee? | |
| leer | to read | Leo mucho. — I read a lot. | |
| vender | to sell | Venden frutas aquí. — They sell fruit here. | |
| correr | to run | Ella corre todos los días. — She runs every day. | |
| aprender | to learn | Aprendo español. — I learn Spanish. | |
| escribir | to write | Ella escribe muy bien. — She writes very well. | |
| abrir | to open | Abren a las ocho. — They open at eight. | |
| subir | to go up / upload | Subo las escaleras. — I go up the stairs. | |
| recibir | to receive | Recibo muchos correos. — I receive many emails. |
What is the nosotros form of "vivir"?
Essential Irregular Verbs — Must Memorize
These are the most-used Spanish verbs — they are all irregular. Memorize them in full:
ir (to go)
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | voy | I go |
| tú | vas | you go |
| él/ella | va | he/she goes |
| nosotros | vamos | we go |
| vosotros | vais | you all go |
| ellos | van | they go |
tener (to have)
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | tengo | I have |
| tú | tienes | you have |
| él/ella | tiene | he/she has |
| nosotros | tenemos | we have |
| vosotros | tenéis | you all have |
| ellos | tienen | they have |
hacer (to do / to make)
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hago | I do/make |
| tú | haces | you do |
| él/ella | hace | he/she does |
| nosotros | hacemos | we do |
| vosotros | hacéis | you all do |
| ellos | hacen | they do |
querer (to want / to love)
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | quiero | I want |
| tú | quieres | you want |
| él/ella | quiere | he/she wants |
| nosotros | queremos | we want |
| vosotros | queréis | you all want |
| ellos | quieren | they want |
poder (to be able to / can)
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | puedo | I can |
| tú | puedes | you can |
| él/ella | puede | he/she can |
| nosotros | podemos | we can |
| vosotros | podéis | you all can |
| ellos | pueden | they can |
"Vamos" means both "we go" AND "let's go!" — it's one of the most versatile words in Spanish. ¡Vamos! = Let's go! / Come on!
"We are going to the store" in Spanish is...?
Super Irregulars — The Most Important Ones
These verbs break all rules. They have unique yo forms and often change in other persons too. Memorize these first — they are the most used verbs in Spanish.
→oy Verbs (Yo ends in -oy)
| Infinitive | English | Yo | Tú | Nosotros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dar | to give | doy | das | damos |
| ser | to be (perm.) | soy | eres | somos |
| estar | to be (temp.) | estoy | estás | estamos |
| ir | to go | voy | vas | vamos |
→go Verbs (Yo ends in -go)
| Infinitive | English | Yo | Tú | Nosotros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hacer | to make, do | hago | haces | hacemos |
| decir | to say, tell | digo | dices | decimos |
| tener | to have | tengo | tienes | tenemos |
| venir | to come | vengo | vienes | venimos |
| poner | to put | pongo | pones | ponemos |
| salir | to go out | salgo | sales | salimos |
| traer | to bring | traigo | traes | traemos |
| caer | to fall | caigo | caes | caemos |
| valer | to be worth | valgo | vales | valemos |
→zco Verbs (Yo ends in -zco)
| Infinitive | English | Yo | Tú | Nosotros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| conocer | to know (person/place) | conozco | conoces | conocemos |
| aparecer | to appear | aparezco | apareces | aparecemos |
| conducir | to drive | conduzco | conduces | conducimos |
| producir | to produce | produzco | produces | producimos |
| agradecer | to thank | agradezco | agradeces | agradecemos |
| parecer | to seem | parezco | pareces | parecemos |
| crecer | to grow | crezco | creces | crecemos |
Pattern tip: All verbs ending in -cer or -cir become -zco in the yo form. The rest of the conjugation is regular!
The "yo" form of "hacer" (to do/make) is...?
Stem-Changing Verbs — e→ie, o→ue, e→i
These verbs change their stem vowel in all persons except nosotros (which stays regular). This is the largest group of irregular verbs.
e → ie (most common change)
| Infinitive | English | Yo | Tú | Nosotros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| querer | to want | quiero | quieres | queremos |
| pensar | to think | pienso | piensas | pensamos |
| cerrar | to close | cierro | cierras | cerramos |
| comenzar | to begin | comienzo | comienzas | comenzamos |
| entender | to understand | entiendo | entiendes | entendemos |
| perder | to lose | pierdo | pierdes | perdemos |
| preferir | to prefer | prefiero | prefieres | preferimos |
| sentir | to feel | siento | sientes | sentimos |
| mentir | to lie | miento | mientes | mentimos |
| hervir | to boil | hiervo | hierves | hervimos |
o → ue
| Infinitive | English | Yo | Tú | Nosotros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| poder | to be able to | puedo | puedes | podemos |
| dormir | to sleep | duermo | duermes | dormimos |
| volver | to return | vuelvo | vuelves | volvemos |
| encontrar | to find | encuentro | encuentras | encontramos |
| contar | to tell/count | cuento | cuentas | contamos |
| recordar | to remember | recuerdo | recuerdas | recordamos |
| morir | to die | muero | mueres | morimos |
| almorzar | to have lunch | almuerzo | almuerzas | almorzamos |
| volar | to fly | vuelo | vuelas | volamos |
| doler | to hurt | duelo | dueles | dolemos |
e → i (only -IR verbs)
| Infinitive | English | Yo | Tú | Nosotros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pedir | to ask for | pido | pides | pedimos |
| servir | to serve | sirvo | sirves | servimos |
| seguir | to follow | sigo | sigues | seguimos |
| repetir | to repeat | repito | repites | repetimos |
| vestir | to wear/dress | visto | vistes | vestimos |
| medir | to measure | mido | mides | medimos |
| reír | to laugh | río | ríes | reímos |
| competir | to compete | compito | compites | competimos |
Golden rule: Nosotros is always regular in stem-changing verbs. The change only happens when the stem vowel is stressed — and in nosotros, the stress falls on the ending (-amos, -emos, -imos), not the stem.
"Yo duermo" comes from which infinitive?
Why is "nosotros" always regular in stem-changing verbs?
Other Patterns — GER→jo, i→y, and No Rules
These smaller groups complete the irregular verb landscape. Learn the patterns and you can conjugate dozens of verbs.
GER / GIR → jo (Yo changes G to J)
| Infinitive | English | Yo | Tú | Nosotros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| coger | to take, grab | cojo | coges | cogemos |
| escoger | to choose | escojo | escoges | escogemos |
| recoger | to collect | recojo | recoges | recogemos |
| dirigir | to lead, direct | dirijo | diriges | dirigimos |
| corregir | to correct | corrijo | corriges | corregimos |
| elegir | to choose | elijo | eliges | elegimos |
| exigir | to demand | exijo | exiges | exigimos |
i → y (only -IR verbs: -uir endings)
| Infinitive | English | Yo | Tú | Nosotros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| incluir | to include | incluyo | incluyes | incluimos |
| concluir | to conclude | concluyo | concluyes | concluimos |
| destruir | to destroy | destruyo | destruyes | destruimos |
| construir | to build | construyo | construyes | construimos |
| distribuir | to distribute | distribuyo | distribuyes | distribuimos |
| huir | to escape | huyo | huyes | huimos |
No Rules — Must Memorize
| Infinitive | English | Yo | Tú | Nosotros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| saber | to know (facts) | sé | sabes | sabemos |
| haber | to have (auxiliary) | he | has | hemos |
| jugar | to play | juego | juegas | jugamos |
Quick reference: The PDF from La Profe Karen lists 184 irregular verbs in present tense! Don't panic — most follow the patterns above. Once you learn the 7 patterns (→oy, →go, →zco, e→ie, o→ue, e→i, GER→jo), you can conjugate most of them.
The "yo" form of "incluir" is...?
Noun Gender — El vs La
Every Spanish noun is either masculine or feminine. This affects articles, adjectives, and pronouns. The gender must agree throughout the sentence.
Masculine → el / un
Usually end in -o (but not always):
el libro (the book)
el niño (the boy)
el coche (the car)
el hombre (the man)
el día (the day) — exception!
el mapa (the map) — exception!
el problema (the problem) — exception!
Feminine → la / una
Usually end in -a (but not always):
la mesa (the table)
la niña (the girl)
la ciudad (the city)
la mujer (the woman)
la mano (the hand) — exception!
la flor (the flower) — exception!
Some nouns ending in -ma, -pa, -ta are masculine despite ending in -a. Memorize: el problema, el mapa, el planeta, el programa, el sistema, el tema.
"The book" in Spanish is...?
Definite and Indefinite Articles
Spanish articles must agree in gender AND number with the noun they modify:
| Masculine Singular | Feminine Singular | Masculine Plural | Feminine Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite (the) | el | la | los | las |
| Indefinite (a/some) | un | una | unos | unas |
Pluralization rules:
- Ends in vowel → add -s: libro → libros · mesa → mesas
- Ends in consonant → add -es: ciudad → ciudades · color → colores
- Ends in -z → change z to c + -es: vez → veces · lápiz → lápices
"The tables" in Spanish is...?
Subject Pronouns & Adjective Agreement
Spanish adjectives must agree in gender AND number with the noun they describe:
| Pronoun | English | Example with ser |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | Yo soy americano. |
| tú | you (informal) | Tú eres alta. |
| él / ella / usted | he / she / you (formal) | Él es inteligente. |
| nosotros / nosotras | we | Nosotras somos estudiantes. |
| vosotros / vosotras | you all (Spain) | Vosotros sois simpáticos. |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | they / you all | Ellas son bonitas. |
Adjective agreement:
| Spanish | IPA / Pronunciation | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| alto / alta / altos / altas | tall | Mi padre es muy alto. — My father is very tall. | |
| inteligente / inteligentes | intelligent (same M/F) | Ella es inteligente. — She is intelligent. | |
| simpático / simpática | nice, friendly | Son muy simpáticos. — They are very nice. | |
| joven / jóvenes | young | Los profesores son jóvenes. — The teachers are young. |
Adjectives with -e ending or ending in a consonant have the same form for masculine and feminine. Only adjectives ending in -o change to -a for feminine.
What is the feminine plural of "inteligente"?
Numbers 0–100 — Click Each to Hear
Master numbers to tell time, give ages, shop, and describe quantities:
cero0
uno1
dos2
tres3
cuatro4
cinco5
seis6
siete7
ocho8
nueve9
diez10
once11
doce12
trece13
catorce14
quince15
dieciséis16
diecisiete17
dieciocho18
diecinueve19
veinte20
veintiuno21
veintidós22
veintitrés23
veinticuatro24
veinticinco25
treinta30
cuarenta40
cincuenta50
sesenta60
setenta70
ochenta80
noventa90
cien100
ciento uno101
16–29: written as one word (dieciséis, veintidós). 31+: written as three words with "y": treinta y uno, cuarenta y cinco, etc. "Cien" = exactly 100; "ciento" = 100+ (ciento uno = 101).
"Seventy-five" in Spanish is...?
Telling Time — La Hora
In Spanish, the time always uses SER (to be). Use es la una for 1:00 and son las... for all other hours:
| Spanish | IPA / Pronunciation | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¿Qué hora es? | /ke ˈo.ra es/ | What time is it? | ¿Qué hora es, por favor? — What time is it, please? |
| Es la una. | /es la ˈu.na/ | It's 1:00. | Es la una en punto. — It's exactly 1:00. |
| Son las dos. | /son las ˈdos/ | It's 2:00. | Son las dos y media. — It's 2:30. |
| Son las tres y cuarto. | /son las ˈtres i ˈkwar.to/ | It's 3:15 (quarter past 3). | Son las tres y cuarto. — It's 3:15. |
| Son las cuatro menos diez. | It's 3:50 (ten to four). | Son las cinco menos cuarto. — It's 4:45. | |
| Son las ocho de la mañana. | It's 8:00 in the morning. | Son las ocho de la noche. — It's 8:00 in the evening. |
Time vocabulary: y media = :30 (half past) · y cuarto = :15 (quarter past) · menos cuarto = :45 (quarter to) · en punto = exactly on the hour