1. SER vs. ESTAR (¿Quién ganará?) Ser = to be Estar = to be

2. SER vs. ESTAR (¿Quién ganará?) SERESTAR Description – Soy aburrido. Occupation – ¿Eres medico? Characteristic – Ella es perezosa. Time – Son las ocho. Origin – Somos de México. Relationship – Éste es mi bolígrafo. Position – El gato está encima de la mesa. Location – Estoy en México. Action – Estamos corriendo. Condition – La puerta está cerrada. Emotion – Estoy triste.

3. SER (norm) vs. ESTAR (change) Several adjectives can be used with either ser or estar, with ser defining the norm and estar a change from that norm: El agua en los lagos de Patagonia es fría. The water in Patagonian lakes is cold. Hoy el agua en este lago en Patagonia está caliente. Today the water in this Patagonian lake is hot.

4. SER (objective reality) vs. ESTAR (subjective judgment) Same idea: El helado es delicioso. Ice cream is delicious. Este helado está asqueroso. This ice cream is disgusting.

5. SER (characteristic) vs. ESTAR (condition) Same idea: Juan es alegre. Juan is a happy person. Juan está alegre. Juan is happy (now).

6. SER (passive voice action) vs. ESTAR (resultant condition) Use ser to say when an action was done by someone or something (the passive voice [your English teachers hate this]) Use estar to describe a condition of something La puerta fue cerrada por Juan. The door was closed by Juan. La puerta estaba cerrada. The door was closed.

7. SER (passive voice action) vs. ESTAR (resultant condition) [más] La ventana es rota cada día por Juan. The window is broken every day by Juan. La ventana está rota. The window is broken.

8. Adjectives that change meaning with ser or estar SERESTAR aburrido listo rico seguro verde bueno boring smart rich safe green good bored ready tasty sure ripe tasty / sexy

9. Fun exceptions: To be in English can be expressed in many varied ways in Spanish! Its hot out. Hace calor. Im hot. Tengo calor. There is a clown. Hay un payaso.

10. Fun exceptions (contd): To say where an event takes place, use ser! La boda es en el patio trasero de la casa de la amiga de Jorge. The wedding is in Jorges friends houses backyard.