The Spanish verb SER "to be"
In English we know the forms of the verb "to be" without thinking. I am. You are. We are. They are. In Spanish, each verb changes to reflect the subject of the verb, as well as the tense (such as present, past, or future). These changes are called conjugations.
Spanish Verb SER ''to be" — Conjunctions
The following table shows the conjugations of the verb ser "to be" in the present tense.
| Subject | Ser conjugation in present tense |
|---|---|
| yo | soy |
| yú | eres |
| usted / él / ella | es |
| nosotros/as | somos |
| vosotros/as | sois |
| ustedes / ellos / ellas | son |
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Important! Remember What You Learn
Drop the Subject
Each conjugation is so precise that you usually don't need to include a subject at all! In Spanish you can simply say the verb:
Soy de España. "(I) am from Spain."
Eres joven. "(You) are young."
Somos de Nueva Zelanda. "(We) are from New Zealand."
Whose it is and where you're from
The word de is widely used with the verb ser "to be". It means "of" when used to indicate possession and "from" when used to indicate origin.
Por ejemplo:
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Talking about What You Do for a Living
The verb ser "to be" is used to describe occupation. Note that in Spanish you will say, "She is professor" Ella es profesora, NOT "She is a professor" Ella es una profesora. When talking about occupation, you should not include either un or una.
Por ejemplo:
Be Careful with "To Be" Verbs
Unlike English, there are TWO verbs for "to be" in Spanish!
Check out more Spanish Verbs for useful info!
- Spanish Verbs - Saber and Conocer
- Spanish Verbs Decir & Dar
- Spanish Verbs Pedir and Preguntar
- Spanish Verbs in the Present Tense and Conjugations
See you soon! ¡Hasta pronto!
Mauricio Evlampieff: Rocket Spanish