logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
July 18, 2024 by Michelle Margaret Fajkus Spanish Grammar 0 comments

Master All the Forms of Ser in Spanish: Your Ultimate Grammar Guide

Who am I? Who are you? These two most basic questions of identity serve as our introduction to the many forms of ser in Spanish.

Ser is one of the two prominent “to be” verbs in Spanish; the other is estar. Ser is an irregular -er verb, so it doesn’t follow regular verb ending patterns. Being able to use all the forms of ser in Spanish will make you a more fluent speaker.

Keep reading this blog post for a comprehensive, practical grammar guide to using ser in all its forms!

(For a more technical lesson on this verb’s conjugation, see Ser Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson, Exercises, and PDF.)

Join more than 559 million people on the planet who speak Spanish!
Sign up for your free trial Spanish class today. ➡️

certified teachers
free Spanish class button

When to Use the Forms of Ser in Spanish

Let’s briefly review the most common usages of the verb ser. You’ll use it primarily in situations to express physical characteristics, times and dates, professional and relationships, and permanent descriptions (including origin, nature, identity, and possession).

1. Physical Characteristics

Ella es baja y delgada.
She is short and thin.

La casa es azul.
The house is blue.

Mi perro era grande y blanco.
My dog was big and white.

2. Times and Dates

Son las once de la noche. 
It is 11:00 p.m.

Ayer fue martes.
Yesterday was Tuesday.

Mañana es el primero de diciembre.
Tomorrow is December 1.

3. Professions and Relationships

Soy escritora.
I am a writer.

Elena es mi amiga.
Elena is my friend.

Juan fue mi esposo.
Juan was my husband.

Mi trabajo es difícil.
My work is difficult.

4. Permanent Descriptions

Soy yo.
It’s me.

Tú eres de este pueblo.
You are from this village.

La casa es mía.
The house is mine.

México es un país al sur de los Estados Unidos.
Mexico is a country south of the United States.

Now it’s time to dive into our complete guide to ser! The following sections are organized into present, past, future, subjunctive, commands, conditional, and progressive.

all the forms of ser in Spanish

Forms of Ser in Spanish: Present Tense

The most common set of verbs in Spanish is the present indicative tense. Use these verbs to discuss things happening now.

Present Indicative 

¿Quién soy?
Who am I?

¿Quién eres?
Who are you?

Yo soy ____.
I am _____.

¿Qué es?
What is it?

¡Es una niña!
It’s a girl!

Ellos son Latinos.
They are Latin American.

Ustedes son inteligentes.
You all are intelligent.

Nosotros somos mujeres fuertes.
We are strong women.

La alumna es colombiana.
The student is Colombian.

Nosotros somos los primeros en llegar.
We are the first to arrive.

Los zapatos son míos.
The shoes are mine.

Present Perfect

The past participle of ser is sido.

Ha sido maravilloso. 
It has been wonderful.

Yo he sido tranquilo toda mi vida.
I have been calm all my life.

Ella ha sido maestra de yoga por veinte años.
She has been a yoga teacher for twenty years.

Hemos sido amigos desde la niñez.
We have been friends since childhood.

Estos procedimientos han sido utilizados en años anteriores. 
These procedures have been used in previous years.

Forms of Ser in Spanish: Past Tense

Spanish has two main past tense forms: preterite and imperfect. The preterite tells you precisely when something happened in the past, while the imperfect tells you in general terms when an action took place with no definite ending.

Preterite

Let’s take a look at ser in the preterite tense. If these conjugations look familiar, it’s because they’re also the preterite forms of the verb ir (to go). 

Fue una noche oscura.
It was a dark night.

Fueron escondidos detrás de los árboles.
They were hidden behind the trees.

Nosotros fuimos meseros de este restaurante. 
We were waiters at this restaurant.

Fuimos los mejores.
We were the best.

No fui yo, esta señora está confundida. 
It wasn’t me; this lady is confused.

¿No fui lo suficientemente claro?
Was I not clear enough?

Yo mismo lo fui.
I used to be one myself.

Las mujeres fueron las que corrieron. 
The women were the ones who ran.

Ella y su madre fueron encarceladas. 
She and her mother were incarcerated.

Imperfect

Ser is one of just three irregular imperfect verbs. Note that the first-person and third-person singular forms (yo and usted) are the same (era).

Cuando era niño, comía mucha papaya fresca. 
When I was a little boy, I used to eat lots of fresh papaya.

La directora de la escuela era estricta. 
The school’s principal was strict.

La librera era de mi abuela. 
The bookshelf was my grandmother’s.

Dickens era un gran escritor.
Dickens was a great writer.

Tú eras la secretaria de la oficina. 
You used to be the secretary in the office.

Éramos futbolistas.
We used to be soccer players.

¿Te acuerdas cuando eramos chicos?
Do you remember when we were children?

Eran las cinco. 
It was five o’clock.

Mis padres se casaron cuando eran muy jóvenes. 
My parents got married when they were very young.

Forms of Ser in Spanish: Future Tense

We use the future tense to discuss plans, intentions, predictions, and assumptions. Good news! Ser is regular in the future tense, so you can apply the regular verb endings here. Alternatively, use the present tense of the verb ir + ser to express the phrase “going to be” or “will be.”

Que será será.
Whatever will be, will be. 

Linda será una gran bailarina.
Linda will be a great dancer.

Ustedes serán bienvenidos.
You all will be welcome.

Tú serás la primera.
You will be the first.

Voy a ser enfermera.
I am going to be a nurse.

Vas a ser exitosa.
You’re going to be successful.

Vamos a ser esposos.
We are going to be married.

Van a ser actores.
You all will be actors.

Forms of Ser in Spanish: Conditional

Conditional sentences are sentences that express one thing based on something else.

Mejor sería comprar verduras frescas. 
It would be better to buy fresh greens.

Si no estuviera tan ocupada, sería más felíz. 
If she weren’t so busy, she would be happier.

Pensé que hoy sería diferente. 
I thought that today would be different.

¿Qué crees que sería justo? 
What do you think is fair?

¿Qué días de la semana serían las clases? 
What days of the week would the course be?

¿Cuáles serían las consecuencias?
What would the consequences be?

Forms of Ser in Spanish: Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

We use the Spanish present subjunctive to talk about situations of doubt, desire, emotion, necessity, or uncertainty.

Lo que sea.
Whatever.

Lo hago tantas veces como sea posible. 
I do it as often as possible.

Por muy tarde que sea, pasaremos a verte. 
However late it may be, we will come by to see you.

Cuando sea grande quiero ser arqueólogo. 
When I grow up I want to be an archeologist.

¿No te alegras de que tus primas sean tan felices? 
Aren’t you glad that Elisa and David are so happy?

Es necesario que sean socios.
They need to become partners.

¿Quiere que sea testigo?
Do you want me to be a witness?

No importa que sea de otro país.
It doesn’t matter if it’s from another county.

Imperfect Subjunctive

We use the past subjunctive (also known as the imperfect subjunctive) to talk about hypotheses, wishes, or uncertainty in the past.

Si yo fuera tú no lo haría.
If I were you, I wouldn’t do it.

Yo esperaba que ella fuera a la tienda conmigo. 
I was hoping that she would go to the store with me.

Aunque fuera clara, no le gustaba. 
Although it was clear, he didn’t like it.

Ellos esperaban que sus amigos fueran a la playa con ellos. 
They were hoping that their friends would go to the beach with them.

Past Perfect Subjunctive

The past perfect subjunctive is common when discussing past hypotheticals, conditionals, and past actions preceding other past actions.

Hubiera sido un error trágico.
That would have been a tragic mistake.

Hace seis meses hubiera sido totalmente inconcebible.
Six months ago, this would have been absolutely unthinkable.

Creo que hubiera sido algo que nadie habría aceptado.
I think that would have been unacceptable to everyone.

Forms of Ser in Spanish: Commands

Another word for Spanish commands is “imperatives,” and we use them to give direct orders by addressing someone (or a group).

No seas exagerado, no pasó de esa manera. 
Don’t exaggerate, it didn’t happen that way.

Sea amable con los huéspedes. (formal/usted)
Sé amable con los huéspedes. (informal/tú)
Be nice to the guests!

Seamos razonables, pidamos sólo lo necesario. 
Let’s be reasonable, let’s ask only for what we need.

No seamos hipócritas.
Let us not fool ourselves.

Forms of Ser in Spanish: Progressive

Lastly, let’s take a glance at one of the less commonly used forms of ser in Spanish: the progressive or continuous form. The gerund form of ser is siendo.

Estamos siendo vigilados por los vecinos.
We are being watched by the neighbors.

Ellos están siendo echado de su propio terreno.
They are being kicked off their own land.

Aún sigue siendo así.
That is still the case.

Ya iba siendo hora.
Not a day too soon.

¡Vas a Ser Bilingue!

You’re going to be bilingual!

Now that you’re learning the plethora of ways to use ser in all its forms, are you ready to take the next step? Try a free trial class with one of our certified Spanish teachers to practice using ser—plus learn more helpful verbs and vocabulary—while having a real-life conversation with a native speaker.

certified teachers
free Spanish class button

Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these

Sharon K, Parent of 3

“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”

– Sharon K, Parent of 3

Cindy D, Parent of 3

“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”

– Cindy D, Parent of 3

Erica P. Parent of 1

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

Want more free Spanish lessons, fun content, and easy learning strategies? Check these out!

  • What to Expect in Your Preschooler’s First Spanish Class
  • 10 Simple Spanish Words Your Preschooler Can Learn This Week
  • From Zero to Fluent? What Realistic Progress Looks Like in 1 Year of Spanish
  • Why Teens Get Bored with Spanish (And How to Keep Them Engaged at the Intermediate Level)
  • From Fluent to Native-Like: 5 Ways to Refine Your Child’s Spanish Accent and Intonation
  • How to Turn Spanish Fluency into a Superpower for College Admissions
  • Help Your Child Learn Spanish Naturally with These Friendship Songs
  • Top 7 Mistakes Parents Make with Spanish Fluency Games for Kids (And What to Do Instead)
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Michelle Margaret Fajkus
Follow on FB
Michelle Margaret Fajkus
Editor & Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
Michelle Margaret Fajkus is a bilingual writer and longtime yoga teacher. A former advertising copywriter turned bilingual elementary school teacher, she is now a freelance writer, editor and translator. A native Texan, Michelle has Mexican roots and learned Spanish in middle and high school. She has become more fluent thanks to living as an expat in Guatemala. She lives with her family on beautiful Lake Atitlan.
Michelle Margaret Fajkus
Follow on FB
Latest posts by Michelle Margaret Fajkus (see all)
  • Ver Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson, Exercises, and PDF - December 5, 2024
  • What Are the Different Levels of Language Proficiency? - October 17, 2024
  • Master All the Forms of Ser in Spanish: Your Ultimate Grammar Guide - July 18, 2024
spanish grammar spanish verb ser
0

Related Posts

Spanish for dummies

Spanish for Dummies [Greetings, Questions, Small Talk, and More]

March 10, 2022
Read More
spanish pronouns

3 Types of Spanish Pronouns to Perfect Your Fluency

May 16, 2021
Read More
you formal in Spanish

How to Say ‘You’ in Formal and Informal Spanish

September 21, 2021
Read More
filler words in Spanish

The Ultimate Guide to Filler Words in Spanish for More Natural Conversations

September 27, 2021
Read More

Leave a Comment! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All You Need to Know About Spanish as a Second LanguagePrevious Post
Keep Your Spanish Skills Sharp Over Summer Vacation Next Post

About Us

With over 10 years of experience, HSA is where your goals merge with our teachers’ passion: to improve your Spanish fluency. Custom-tailored to fit your needs, you choose your program, schedule, favorite teachers, pace of learning, and more.. Learn More

Resources

  • About
  • Get a Transcript
  • FAQs
  • How it Works
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • What to Expect in Your Preschooler’s First Spanish Class
    What to Expect in Your Preschooler’s First Spanish Class
    April 25, 2025
    Nervous about starting Spanish? Here’s...
  • Spanish Songs Your Preschooler Will Love (and Learn From!)
    Spanish Songs Your Preschooler Will Love (and Learn From!)
    April 24, 2025
    Music makes Spanish stick. Here are the...

Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Contact Us© 2022 HSA. All rights reserved.