What is the difference between 'Ser' and 'Estar'

"Ser" and "Estar" both translate into 'to be' however they are used in different situations.Generally, the difference can be understood as Nature (Ser) vs State (Estar). Ser is used in order to describe what someone or something is at its very nature. Meanwhile Estar is used in order to describe what the state of someone or something is in a certain moment.However, separate to this general distinction it is important to remember Ser is always used for Time and Date.As the general difference can be hard to remember, there are two acronyms to make this easier to understand.For Ser, the acronym 'DOCTOR' can be used: Date, Occupation, Characteristic, Time, Origin, Relationship.And for Estar, the acronym 'PLACE' can be used: Position, Location, Action, Condition, Emotion.

Answered by Tobias S. Spanish tutor

1274 Views

See similar Spanish GCSE tutors

Related Spanish GCSE answers

All answers ▸

¿como celebraste tu cumpleaños el año pasado?


How do I conjugate the present tense form of an irregular verb such as 'hacer'?


What are the differences between the use of the preterite and imperfect tenses in Spanish?


What is the difference between the two versions of 'to be'?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo
Cookie Preferences