"SER" and "ESTAR"
("To be or not to be?")

SER and ESTAR

Both these verbs mean "to be". SER is used to indicate "what" someone or something is while ESTAR is used to indicate "where" someone or something is, "how" someone is feeling or in constructions such as "he is talking/I am working" to indicate what is going on.

More detail on SER and ESTAR

“SER” is used for jobs (soy secretario)
“SER” is used for saying what someone or something is like (es simpático)
“SER” is used for nationality (mi padre es inglés)
“SER” is used for telling the time (son las dos)
“SER” is used for colours (mi coche es rojo)


“ESTAR” is used for saying how someone is/is feeling (estoy enfermo)
“ESTAR” is used to say where (Londres está en Inglaterra)
“ESTAR” is used in some weather expressions (está lloviendo)
“ESTAR” is used for saying what is happening (estamos hablando)
“ESTAR” is used for describing what is potentially a temporary state (la ventana está abierta)