Originally Posted by
xiurell
let's star with the verb SER TO BE
Although it is an extremely common verb, ser can be confusing for many Spanish students because it is usually translated as "to be," same as the verb estar. Although they can often be translated the same way, ser and estar are distinct verbs with distinct meanings and are seldom synonymous.
It is probably most helpful to learn the two verbs separately
Here are the main uses of ser:
- To indicate existence: Ser o no ser (to be or not to be)
- With adjectives to indicate inherent, innate or essential characteristics
La casa es grande. (The house is big.)
Soy feliz. (I am happy)
- To indicate origin, nature or identity: Soy de Argentina. (I am from Argentina.)
- To indicate possession or ownership : El coche es mío ((The car is mine.)
- To tell the time: Es la una. (It is 1:00.) Son las dos. (It is 2:00.)
- To indicate where an event takes place: El concierto es en la playa. (The concert is on the beach.) La fiesta será en mi casa. (The party will be at my house.)
- In impersonal statements: Es importante. (It is important.) Fue difícil. (It was difficult.)
Present
yo soy ...................................(I am)
tú eres ..................................(you are)
él, ella, usted es.................... (he is, she is, you are
nosotros, nosotras somos.... (we are)
vosotros, vosotras sois......... (you are)
ellos, ellas, ustedes son........ (they are, you are) were)
As you see is an irregular verb
Notice how in Spanish the verb ending identifies the subject, except when using a third person, in which case we have several possibilities. In those cases you will find that either the subject is identified through the use of the personal pronoun or name, or it has been identified in a previous sentence
To make the negative form of the verb you must add no before the verb
Yo no soy (I am not)
tú no eres (you are not)
etc.