Ser vs Estar: Using Adjectives with These Spanish Verbs

To be or to be? That is the question in Spanish. You know it well: the famous ser vs estar situation.  

This is one of the trickiest parts of the language for new learners. It’s tricky because the differences between one verb and the other are minimal, but really important. 

In this post, I’m gonna take you down the ser vs estar rabbit hole, and then take a wild turn into adjectives territory–which is an adventure in itself. 

Are you ready?

Ser vs Estar

These two Spanish verbs translate as “to be” in English. While a difference in meaning doesn’t exist in English, Spanish speakers use each verb in very specific situations. That’s of course the origin of the problem for learners: how do you know when to use one or the other? The title of our post says it all: ser vs estar. It’s like a permanent fight inside the heads of students of the language, struggling to choose between when to use ser and when to use estar. 

Ser vs estar are similar in meaning, otherwise they wouldn’t be translated as the same verb in English. However, in Spanish, it’s crucial to know to differentiate them because they express distinct ideas that can change the whole meaning of a sentence. 

The Spanish Verb Ser

Ser expresses permanent states, the “essence of things,” or the stuff that makes something what it is. You use ser when you want to express who you are, what you do (for a living), and your nationality. In all these cases, you’re describing your permanent qualities as a person that aren’t likely to change.

So, how do you know when to use ser? I’ve written before about the subject and you can read this thorough guide about the uses for these two verbs. Here, I’ll just mention all the situations when you have to use ser: 

1. Descriptions

2. Time

3. Origin

4. Occupation

5. Possession

6. Event location

7. Identification

8. Price

The Spanish Verb Estar

On the other hand, estar expresses temporary states, qualities, conditions, or locations that are meant to change whether soon or eventually. If, for instance, you want to say where you are or how you feel, you will use estar.   

Use estar in the following situations: 

1. Ongoing Actions

2. Emotions

3. Location

4. Physical Position

5. Physical and Mental Conditions

6. Progressive Tense 

7. Variable Price 

Adjectives in Spanish

Adjectives in Spanish have the exact same function as they do in English. They are words that describe someone or something. In grammar lingo, we say that adjectives affect or modify a noun. Adjectives give us important information about the look of a person, the taste of a wine, and the quality of a product, for example. 

They are like “tags” that amplify the information about the subject. In English, you use them all the time. In Spanish too, but in a slightly different way that we’ll explore below. 

How Do Adjectives Work in Spanish?

While in English adjectives come before the noun, in Spanish they usually come after the noun. So, instead of saying “the red house,” you say la casa roja. 

Pretty simple, right? However, in Spanish, you always have to consider gender and number. Adjectives change their form depending on if the noun they are modifying is masculine or feminine, and also if it’s singular or plural.   

That gives us four possible adjective forms. Let’s see how they behave with a masculine and a feminine noun, both in singular and plural: 

la casa roja – feminine, singular.

las casas rojas – feminine, plural.

el libro rojo – masculine, singular.

los libros rojos – masculine, plural. 

It’s important to mention that, in Spanish, not all adjectives get modified for gender. If, for example, the house were blue instead of red, the Spanish adjective would be azul which never changes, notwithstanding the gender of the noun it’s modifying. In other words, la casa cannot be azula.

Ser vs Estar: The Use of Adjectives

The peculiarity of the ser vs estar situation is not restricted to the fact that they are translated into English as the same verb. They also have specific adjectives that function well with each of them and others that, when applied to both of them, change their meaning. Interesting, right?

Ser-only Adjectives

Some adjectives in Spanish only work with ser and using them with estar would sound unnatural. Let’s see some of the most common: 

Estar-only Adjectives

Now, let’s take a look at some of the adjectives that only work with estar: 

Adjectives that Change Meaning with Ser vs Estar

Then you have the adjectives that change their meaning depending on if they are used with ser or with estar. These are the adjectives that make for funny situations if you use them with the wrong verb. 

Ser vs Estar Quiz

Fill in the blank with the right verb (ser vs estar), considering the situation and meaning of the sentence: 

1. La pizza de ayer _______________ muy rica. – Yesterday’s pizza was very tasty.

2. Este documento _______________ muy importante. – This document is very important.  

3. ¿_______________ listo para la carrera de mañana? – Are you ready for tomorrow’s race?

4. Tu mamá _______________ muy preocupada. – Your mom is very worried. 

5. _______________ aburrido. – I’m bored. 

6. Los casos así _______________ muy comunes. – Cases like this one are very common. 

7. No _______________ posible conseguir boletos. – It’s not possible to get tickets. 

8. _______________ muy pesado. – I’m too heavy. 

9. Carlos _______________ bueno. – Carlos is good. 

10. Sus padres _______________ orgullosos de ella. – Her parents are proud of her. 

Answer Key

1. estuvo

2. es

3. Estás

4. está

5. Estoy

6. son

7. es

8. Estoy

9. es

10. están

¿Estás listo?

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Luis F. Dominguez

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Luis F. Domínguez is a freelance writer and independent journalist interested in travel, languages, art, books, history, philosophy, politics and sports. He has written for Fodor’s, Yahoo!, Sports Illustrated, Telemundo, and Villa Experience, among other brands of print and digital media in Europe and North America.

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