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Chapter 6 of 16 · Explore the Spanish path

How sentences work · Chapter 6 of 16

Ser and estar: say what something is, and where it is

English has one word for is, and Spanish has two. Learn which one says what something is and which says where it is, then say hello and give your name.

≈ 4 min of reading · Practise at your own pace

What’s in this chapter
  • esehs is for what something is — its name, its kind, what it is lastingly like.
  • estáehs-TAH is for where something is, or how it is right now.
  • Both change for the person: soysoy and estoyehs-TOY are the two “I am”.
  • mi tu sumee too soo go in front of the thing owned, and su does his, her and their alike.
  • Names use a fixed phrase, me llamomeh YAH-moh — literally “I call myself”.

Which word for is the sentence needs

Each row shows the same character twice, once with each word for is. Compare the two columns, then read the note underneath.

esehs — what it isestáehs-TAH — where or how it is
Dara es un zorro.DAH-rah ehs oon SOH-rroh Dara is a fox.Dara está aquí.DAH-rah ehs-TAH ah-KEE Dara is here.
Tika es un pájaro.TEE-kah ehs oon PAH-hah-roh Tika is a bird.Tika está triste.TEE-kah ehs-TAH TREES-teh Tika is sad.

The second row is the whole distinction: being a bird is what Tika is; being sad today is how she is. For the person, each is changes its front: soysoy / estoyehs-TOY — I am, eresEH-rehs / estásehs-TAHS — you are, sonsohn / estánehs-TAHN — they are. Soy Tobi.soy TOH-bee is a whole sentence, with no separate word for I — the next section explains why.

my, your, his, her — and hello

Two short lists side by side: three words for saying whose something is, and three greetings you can use straight away.

SpanishEnglishSpanishEnglish
mimeemyHola.OH-lahHello.
tutooyourAdiós.ah-DYOHSGoodbye.
susoohis, her, theirGracias.GRAH-syahsThank you.

They sit in front of the owned thing, as in English: mi casamee KAH-sah — my house. Spanish greets by the clock — Buenos díasBWEH-nohs DEE-ahs“good morning”; the word lookup has the rest of the day.

My name is Mina. — Her name is Tika.

Me llamo Mina. — Se llama Tika.

meh YAH-moh MEE-nah — seh YAH-mah TEE-kah

Literally “I call myself”. Learn me llamo and se llama as single pieces; do not take them apart.

Which “is” does the sentence want?

  1. Dara es un zorro.

    What he is, not where he is.

    Show answer +
    Dara es un zorro.DAH-rah ehs oon SOH-rroh“Dara is a fox”
  2. Which word would you expect in “The bird is sad today”?
    Show answer +
    estáehs-TAH — how it is right now: El pájaro está triste.ehl PAH-hah-roh ehs-TAH TREES-teh“The bird is sad”
  3. Me llamo Tika.
    Show answer +
    Me llamo Tika.meh YAH-moh TEE-kah“My name is Tika”
Come back to these chapters whenever you need them.All Spanish chapters ↗