Ser vs estar

• What do the verbs "ser" and "estar" both mean in English?

  To be
• Why are "ser" and "estar" not interchangeable?

  They are used in different contexts to convey different meanings.
• What does the acronym DOCTOR stand for in relation to "ser"?

  • D: Description
  • O: Occupation
  • C: Characteristics
  • T: Time and date
  • O: Origin
  • R: Relationship
• What does the "D" in the acronym DOCTOR represent?

  Description
• Give an example of using "ser" for description.

  She is tall.
• What does the "O" in the acronym DOCTOR represent?


  Occupation
• How do you express occupation using "ser"?

  You say "Soy doctor" (I am a doctor).
• What does the "C" in the acronym DOCTOR represent?

  Characteristics
• Provide an example of using "ser" for characteristics.

  My sister is nice.
• What does the "T" in the acronym DOCTOR represent?

  Time and date
• How do you express time using "ser"?

  You say "Es jueves" (It is Thursday).
• What does the "O" in the acronym DOCTOR represent in the context of origin?

  Origin
• How do you express origin using "ser"?

  You say "Soy de Argentina" (I am from Argentina).
• What does the "R" in the acronym DOCTOR represent?

  Relationship
• Provide an example of using "ser" for relationships.

  It is my phone.
• What does the acronym PLACE stand for in relation to "estar"?

  • P: Place
  • L: Location
  • A: Actions
  • C: Conditions
  • E: Emotions
• What does the "P" in the acronym PLACE represent?

  Place
• How do you express place using "estar"?

  You say "Está debajo de la mesa" (It is under the table).
• What does the "L" in the acronym PLACE represent?

  Location
• Provide an example of using "estar" for location.

  It is in the library.
• What does the "A" in the acronym PLACE represent?

  Actions
• How do you express actions using "estar"?

  You say "Estoy durmiendo" (I am sleeping).
• What does the "C" in the acronym PLACE represent?

  Conditions
• Provide an example of using "estar" for conditions.

  It is clean.
• What does the "E" in the acronym PLACE represent?

  Emotions
• How do you express emotions using "estar"?

  You say "Estoy bien" (I am well).
• What are the conjugations of "ser" in the present tense?

  • Yo soy
  • Tú eres
  • Él/Ella/Usted es
  • Nosotros somos
  • Vosotros sois
  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes son
• What are the conjugations of "estar" in the present tense?

  • Yo estoy
  • Tú estás
  • Él/Ella/Usted está
  • Nosotros estamos
  • Vosotros estáis
  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes están
• What is the first person singular conjugation of "ser"?

  Yo soy
• What is the first person singular conjugation of "estar"?

  Yo estoy
• What is the difference between the preterite and imperfect tenses?

  The preterite is for single actions done once, while the imperfect is for continuous actions.
• What is an example of a preterite action?


  I went to school.
• What is an example of an imperfect action?


  I used to play.
• What are the conjugations of "ser" in the preterite tense?

  • Yo fui
  • Tú fuiste
  • Él/Ella/Usted fue
  • Nosotros fuimos
  • Vosotros fuisteis
  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes fueron
• What are the conjugations of "estar" in the preterite tense?

  • Yo estuve
  • Tú estuviste
  • Él/Ella/Usted estuvo
  • Nosotros estuvimos
  • Vosotros estuvisteis
  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes estuvieron
• What is the first person singular conjugation of "ser" in the preterite tense?

  Yo fui
• What is the first person singular conjugation of "estar" in the preterite tense?

  Yo estuve
• What are the conjugations of "ser" in the imperfect tense?

  • Yo era
  • Tú eras
  • Él/Ella/Usted era
  • Nosotros éramos
  • Vosotros erais
  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes eran
• What are the conjugations of "estar" in the imperfect tense?

  • Yo estaba
  • Tú estabas
  • Él/Ella/Usted estaba
  • Nosotros estábamos
  • Vosotros estabais
  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes estaban
• What is the first person singular conjugation of "ser" in the imperfect tense?

  Yo era