Lesson 10 - Descripción de Personas (Describing People)
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Pages in this lesson: Physical Descriptions - ser/estar/tener - Dialogue - Reading - Quiz
This page: Learn the differences between the verbs ser, estar and tener.
ser/estar/tener
Grammar Lesson
What's the difference between the verbs ser, estar and tener? It can be confusing because both ser and estar mean to be in English. The verb tener means to have but is used sometimes when we would use the verb to be in English. Learn about the differences between these three verbs in this lesson.
Verb forms
You already studied the forms of the verbs ser (in lesson 3), estar (in lesson 4) and tener (in lesson 6). Here is a review of the verb forms.
| Subject pronouns | ser | estar | tener |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | soy | estoy | tengo |
| tú | eres | estás | tienes |
| usted, él, ella | es | está | tiene |
| nosotros, nosotras | somos | estamos | tenemos |
| vosotros, vosotras | sóis | estáis | tenéis |
| ustedes, ellos, ellas | son | están | tienen |
ser
The verb ser is used as to be (am, is, are) when you are talking about permanent or more-or-less permanent characteristics. It could be argued that things like your nationality, occupation or religion could change, but these are considered to be characteristics of a person, not conditions, and so they are used with ser.
- Examples
- Él es alto. = He is tall. (physical characteristic)
- Ella es graciosa. = She is funny. (personality characteristic)
- Él es un doctor. = He is a doctor. (occupation)
- Ella es mexicana. = She is Mexican. (nationality)
- Él es mi papá. = He is my dad. (relationship)
- Ella es católica. = She is Catholic. (religion)
Time
In lesson 7 you learned that we use the verb ser with time (although time is not a permanent characteristic).
- Examples
- ¿Qué hora es?
- Son las dos.
- Son las dos y diez.
- Son las diez y media.
Events
Where an event is taking place sounds like it would be used with estar because it's a location, but it is used with ser. If you describe where a building is located, however, you would use estar. It's a little confusing, but just remember that as a general rule estar is used with location, but if you are talking about an event and you can substitute the words "take place" (or taking place or whatever), that's a clue that you should use ser.
- La boda es en la Iglesia "First Baptist". = The wedding is at First Baptist Church. (The wedding takes place at First Baptist Church.)
- La Iglesia "First Baptist" está en el centro. = First Baptist church is downtown. (location)
estar
The verb estar is used as to be (am, is, are) with conditions or locations.
- Examples
- Él está cansado. = He is tired. (condition)
- Ella está en la escuela. = She is at school. (location)
Exceptions
Death is obviously a permanent condition, but the verb estar is used to say that someone is dead.
- Él está muerto. = He is dead.
We hope that marriage is forever, but the verb estar is used in Spanish to say that someone is married, divorced or single. Just think of marital status as a condition.
- Él está casado. = He is married.
- Ellos están divorciados. = They are divorced.
- Ella está soltera. = She is single.
But if you say that someone is your husband, wife, ex, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc. you are saying their relationship to you. When describing a relationship, you use ser.
- Él es mi esposo. = He is my husband.
- Ella es mi novia. = She is my girlfriend.
Summary
- ser - "permanent" characteristics & time
- estar - conditions (including death and marital status) & locations
Ser vs. estar changes the meaning
Sometimes the meaning of a sentence can change depending on the verb you use. The following adjectives have different meanings if they are used with the verb ser or estar. Note that when the adjective is used with ser, it is a characteristic. When it is used with estar, it is a condition.
| ser | estar |
|---|---|
| ser aburrido = to be boring | estar aburrido = to be bored |
| ser cansado = to be tiring | estar cansado = to be tired |
| ser listo = to be clever | estar listo = to be ready |
| ser bueno = to be good | estar bueno = to be good-tasting (delicious) |
| ser malo = to be bad | estar malo = to be sick |
| ser rico = to be rich (money) | estar rico = to be tasty (flavor) |
| ser seguro = to be safe | estar seguro = to be certain |
If you use the verb ser it can mean that the adjective is a permanent characteristic of the person, but if you use it with estar you are saying that they look that way today.
- Examples
- Ella es bonita. = She is pretty.
- Ella está bonita. = She looks pretty. (like maybe she dressed up today)
tener
The verb tener, as you learned in lesson 6, means to have. The verb tener is also used, however, to describe someone's age and with a noun to describe certain conditions.
Age
In Spanish the verb tener is used when you describe how old someone is. You talk about how many years someone has.
- Examples
- Tengo treinta años. = I am thirty years old.
- Mi profesor tiene 53 años. = My teacher is 53 years old.
- ¿Cuántos años tienes? = How old are you? (literally, "How many years do you have?")
tener + noun
Sometimes in Spanish the verb tener is used with a noun, where in English we would use the verb to be and an adjective.
| tener + noun | Translation |
|---|---|
| tener frío | to be cold |
| tener calor | to be hot |
| tener hambre | to be hungry |
| tener miedo | to be scared |
| tener sed | to be thirsty |
| tener sueño | to be sleepy |
Practice
Section 1
Translate the sentences using the tener + noun phrases. Don't forget to use correct capitalization, accents and punctuation, or the computer will mark it as incorrect.
Practice
Section 2
Select the correct verb. There is a hint in parenthesis to help you pick the correct verb.
Practice
Section 3
Now no more hints. Try to figure out what the correct verb is based on the rules you learned in this lesson.
Practice
Section 4
Use the words provided to make a sentence. Also, add the correct verb (ser/estar/tener) and put it in the correct form. If there is an adjective, put it in the correct form (masculine/feminine/singular/plural). Make sure that you use correct punctuation and capitalization, or the computer will mark it as incorrect.
- Example
- ella/cansado → Ella está cansada.
Find the mistake in the sentence and re-write it correctly in the space. Don't forget to use correct capitalization, accents and punctuation, or the computer will mark it as incorrect.
|
Writing
Write one sentence about you with ser, one with estar and one with tener.
- Examples:
- Soy alta.
- Estoy contenta.
- Tengo hambre.
If you want to type a special character (like an accented letter) in the comments section, you could do one of the following . . .
- Select and copy the character that you need → á é í ó ú ü ñ ¿ ¡ Á É Í Ó Ú Ü Ñ « »
- Use special codes on your computer if you have numeric keypad (instructions HERE).
- Type your sentences into the text box below and use the special character buttons provided. Then select and copy your text and paste it into the comments section.
If you see an error in someone else's sentence, please respond with the correction. Comments that are not from "Janet Castrejon" (the author of this page) do not represent Simplified Spanish. If someone is writing inappropriate comments on this webpage, please send a message to [email protected] and include the page that you saw the comment on.
Lesson 10 - Descripción de Personas (Describing People)
Physical Descriptions - ser/estar/tener - Dialogue - Reading - Quiz
Important Links
Pronouns - Pronunciation - Verbs
