100 Sentences With the Spanish Verb Ser
As you begin your learning journey, the verb ser in Spanish is key to expressing ourselves. It’s fundamental to basic Spanish grammar.
Read this blog post, to learn what the verb ser means in Spanish and how to use it. Access tons of examples so that you can master its use!
Ready? Let’s begin!
What Does the Verb Ser Mean?
The verb ser in Spanish means “to be” in English. However, it refers to “being something” or “being like something” rather than the physical state of “being somewhere.”
Yo soy competitivo.
I am competitive.
The sentence above expresses a personality trait; something inherent to a person. The same can apply to objects or places. For example:
Ese lugar es bonito.
That place is beautiful.
Ser vs Estar
The reason ser only refers to a description or a general truth is that in Spanish, we have the verb estar. Most of the time estar refers to “being somewhere” or experiencing a temporary feeling or state.
Yo estoy en casa ahora.
I am home right now.
As you see, the sentence above refers to a momentary state or location.
Yo estoy triste.
I am sad.
That sentence does not express that the person is sad as a personality trait; rather, it expresses a momentary feeling.
When to Use the Verb Ser in Spanish
The following examples and explanations help you master the basic uses of the verb ser in Spanish!
Let’s begin with how to conjugate this irregular verb with all the pronouns!
Verb Ser – Present Tense
Verb Ser for Objects and Places – Present Tense
| Demonstrative Pronoun | Present tense |
| that, this (eso, esa, este, esta) | es |
| those, these (esos, esas, estos, estas) | son |
For a comprehensive guide, see Ser Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson, Quiz, Exercises, and PDF.
Let’s look at the main uses of the verb ser in Spanish!
1. Descriptions
To talk or ask about a permanent characteristic of an object, person, or situation.
Mi casa es grande.
My house is big.
Mi perro es pequeño.
My dog is small.
Ella es divertida.
She is fun.
Ellos son agradables.
They are nice.
2. Possession
To express that something is yours or someone else’s
El carro es mío.
The car is mine.
La casa es de ella.
The house is hers.
Los juguetes son de él.
The toys are his.
PRO TIP: As you see, when using possessives in Spanish, we need to add the preposition de to indicate belonging. To ask questions, you also need to use such prepositions:
¿De quién es la chaqueta?
Whose jacket is it?
3. Origin
To indicate where a person or thing is from, or the material something is made of.
Ella es de Guatemala.
She is from Guatemala.
Esos zapatos son de lona.
Those are denim shoes.
Este café es de Colombia.
This coffee is from Colombia.
4. General Truths
To talk about the basic or innate features of something.
El agua es esencial para vivir.
Water is essential to live.
Los leones son animales salvajes.
Lions are wild animals.
Estudiar es importante.
Studying is important.
La Tierra es el tercer planeta del sistema solar.
Earth is the third planet in the solar system.
5. Identity
To mention who or what a person or thing is (for example: nationality, profession, religions, occupation)
Él es mexicano.
He is Mexican.
Ella es ingeniera.
She is an engineer.
Él es cristiano.
He is (a) Christian.
See also: 7 cases when NOT to use articles in Spanish
Verb Tenses of Ser
So far, we’ve mainly used the present tense of this verb. However, in real life, we need to express ourselves in as many verb tenses as possible. In this article, we’ll cover 3 verb tenses:
Adding voy a, va a or van a to the verb ser is the Spanish equivalent of “am going to be,” “are going to be,” and “is going to be.”
Ella va a ser una gran estrella.
She is going to be a big star.
Ellos van a ser los fotógrafos de mi boda.
They are going to be my wedding photographers.
Learn more about this here: Ir + a + Infinitive: The Near Future Tense in Spanish
In the following sentences, you’ll see usage of 3 verb tenses:
Yo soy – I am (present)
Yo fui – I was (past)
Yo seré – I will be (future)
Tú eres – you are (present)
Tú fuiste – you were (past)
Tú serás – you will be (future)
Él/ella/usted es – he/she/you(formal) are (present)
Él/ella/usted fue – he/she/you(formal) was/were (past)
Él/ella/usted será – he/she/you(formal) will be (future)
Ellos/ellas/ustedes son – they/you are (present)
Ellos/ellas/ustedes fueron – they/you were (past)
Ellos/ellas/ustedes serán – they/you will be (future)
Nosotros somos – we are (present)
Nosotros fuimos – we were (past)
Nosotros seremos -we will be (future)
(Spain:)
Vosotros sois – you all are (present)
Vosotros fuisteis – you all were (past)
Vosotros seréis – you all will be (future)
More Sentences With the Verb ‘Ser’
Alright! Are you ready to check out the many examples we’ve prepared for you? Let’s begin!
Yo
1. Yo soy escritora.
I am a writer.
2. Yo soy estudiante.
I am a student.
3. Yo soy abogado.
I am a lawyer.
4. Yo soy futbolista.
I am a soccer player.
5. Yo soy cocinero.
I am a cook.
6. Yo fui mesero.
I was a waiter.
7. Yo fui jugador de tenis.
I was a tennis player.
8. Yo fui campeón de natación.
I was a swimming champion.
9. Yo fui gimnasta.
I was a gymnast.
10. Yo fui chofer.
I was a driver.
11. Yo seré maestro.
I will be a teacher.
12. Yo seré piloto aviador.
I will be a pilot.
13. Yo seré padre.
I will be a father.
14. Yo seré psicólogo.
I will be a psychologist.
15. Yo seré periodista.
I will be a journalist.
16. Yo seré surfista.
I will be a surfer.
17. Yo seré ingeniero.
I will be an engineer.
Tú
1. Tú eres genial.
You are great.
2. Tú eres inteligente.
You are smart.
3. Tú eres dedicada.
You are a dedicated person.
4. Tú eres exitoso.
You are successful.
5. Tú eres trabajadora.
You are a hard worker.
6. Tú fuiste un gran compañero.
You were a great partner.
7. Tú fuiste maestra hace dos años.
You were a teacher two years ago.
8. Tú fuiste un buen empleado.
You were a good employee.
9. Tú fuiste una gran amiga.
You were a great friend.
10. Tú fuiste un jugador excepcional.
You were an exceptional player.
11. Tú fuiste una estudiante organizada.
You were an organized student.
12. Tú serás mi dama de honor.
You will be my maid of honor.
13. Tú serás bailarina.
You will be a ballerina.
14. Tú serás doctoral.
You will be a doctor.
15. Tú serás contador.
You will be an accountant.
16. Tú serás diseñador.
You will be a designer.
17. Tú serás actor.
You will be an actor.
Él, Ella, Usted
1. Él es un buen novio.
He is a good boyfriend.
2. Él es alto.
He is tall.
3. Él es agradable.
He is nice.
4. Él fue ejecutivo de ventas.
He was a sales executive.
5. Él será ciclista.
He will be a cyclist.
6. Ella es la administradora del hotel.
She is the hotel administrator.
7. Ella es su esposa.
She is his wife.
8. Ella fue honesta.
She was honest.
9. Ella fue la jefa.
She was the boss.
10. Ella será patinadora en hielo.
She will be an ice skater.
11. Ella será maquillista.
She will be a makeup artist.
12. Usted es buena persona.
You are a good person.
13. Usted es cantante.
You are a singer.
14. ¿Usted fue arquitecto?
Were you an architect?
15. ¿Usted fue artists?
Were you an artist?
16. Usted será fotógrafo.
You will be a photographer.
17. Usted será un gran profesional.
You will be a great professional.
Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes
1. Ellos son buenos amigos.
They are good friends.
2. ¿Ellos son extranjeros?
Are they foreigners?
3. Ellos fueron los organizadores de la fiesta.
They were the party planners.
4. Ellos fueron funcionarios públicos.
They were public officials.
5. Ellos serán pareja.
They will be a couple.
6. Ellas son talentosas.
They are talented.
7. ¿Ellas son enfermeras?
Are they nurses?
8. Ellas fueron floristas.
They were florists.
9. Ellas fueron instructoras de baile.
They were dance instructors.
10. Ellas serán presentadoras de televisión.
They will be television presenters.
11. Ellas serán poetas.
They will be poets.
12. Ustedes son productores de cine.
You all are film producers.
13. ¿Ustedes son modelos?
Are you all models?
14. Ustedes fueron estilistas.
You all were stylists.
15. Ustedes fueron coristas.
You all were choir girls.
16. Ustedes serán grandes músicos.
You all will be great musicians.
17. Ustedes serán guitarristas.
You all will be guitar players.
Nosotros
1. Nosotros somos fans de las películas.
We are movie fans.
2. Somos una familia unida.
We are a close family.
3. Somos parte del equipo.
We are part of the team.
4. Nosotros somos pareja.
We are a couple.
5. Nosotros somos dentistas.
We are dentists.
6. Nosotros fuimos compañeros en la escuela.
We were friends at school.
7. Nosotros fuimos parte de la banda escolar.
We were part of the school band.
8. Nosotros fuimos compañeros de cuarto.
We were roommates.
9. Nosotros fuimos pasajeros en ese vuelo.
We were passengers on that flight.
10. Nosotros fuimos invitados a esa boda.
We were invited to that wedding.
11. Nosotros fuimos espectadores en el juego.
We were spectators at the game.
12. Nosotros seremos los primeros en la fila.
We will be the first in line.
13. Nosotros seremos pareja de baile.
We will be dance partners.
14. Nosotros seremos buenos padres.
We will be good parents.
15. Nosotros seremos el alma de la fiesta.
We will be the life of the party.
16. Nosotros seremos los ganadores.
We will be the winners.
17. Nosotros seremos expertos en el tema.
We will be experts on the subject.
Vosotros
1. ¿Vosotros sois padres?
Are you all parents?
2. Vosotros sois excelentes competidores.
You all are excellent competitors.
3. Vosotros sois buenos vecinos.
You all are good neighbors.
4. Vosotros sois una gran banda musical.
You all are a great band.
5. Vosotros sois confiables.
You all are trustworthy.
6. Vosotros fuisteis lo mejor del espectáculo.
You all were the best part of the show.
7. Vosotros fuisteis el mejor grupo de estudiantes.
You all were the best student group.
8. Vosotros fuisteis los últimos en llegar.
You all were the last ones getting there.
9. Vosotros fuisteis parte importante del proyecto.
You all were an important part of the project.
10. Vosotros fuisteis los ganadores del concurso.
You all were the contest winners.
11. Vosotros fuisteis los fundadores de la empresa.
You all were the founders of the company.
12. ¿Vosotros seréis los anfitriones de la fiesta?
Will you all be the host of the party?
13. Vosotros seréis los primeros lectores de mi libro.
You all will be the first readers of my book.
14. Vosotros seréis catadores de vino.
You all will be wine tasters.
15. Vosotros seréis la banda de mi fiesta.
You all will be the band for my party.
16. Vosotros seréis los decoradores de mi casa.
You all will be the decorators for my house.
17. Vosotros seréis historiadores.
You all will be historians.
Ready To Test Your Knowledge?
I hope the example sentences helped you understand the use of the verb ser in Spanish! Take this 10-question quiz to check your knowledge.
1. What tense of ser is "fui"?
2. Which sentence is an example of using ser to describe identity?
3. What sentence is written in future tense?
4. What is the present tense of ser for the pronoun tú?
5. Pick the correct translation for this sentence: You will be the winner.
6. Pick the correct translation for this question: ¿Ella es actriz?
7. What is the future tense of ser for the pronoun él, ella, usted?
8. Which sentence is an example of using ser to describe origin?
9. Which sentence is an example of using ser to describe a general truth?
10. Which sentence is written in the past tense?
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