There are two equivalents of the verb “to be” in Spanish: Ser and Estar. They are used to indicate the fallowing in Spanish:
| ser | estar |
| posession | current condition |
| nationality | location |
| origin | |
| marital status | |
| material that things are made out of | |
| main characteristics | |
| expression of time and date | |
| profession |
Ser in the present simple tense
| pronoun | verb | translation |
| yo | soy | I am |
| tú | eres | you are |
| él, ella – usted | es | he, she, it is – you are (formal) |
| nosotros | somos | we are |
| vosotros | sois | you are (plural) |
| ellos, ellas – ustedes | son | they are – you are (formal plural) |
Examples
| Yo soy americano | I am American | |
| Tú eres mi amigo | You are my friend | |
| El es ingles | He is English | |
| Nosotros somos estudiantes | We are students | |
| Vosotros sois de California | You are (plural) from California | |
| Ellos son delgados | They are thin |
Estar in the present simple tense
| pronoun | verb | translation |
| yo | estoy | I am |
| tú | estás | you are |
| él, ella – usted | está | he, she, it is – you are (formal) |
| nosotros | estamos | we are |
| vosotros | estáis | you are (plural) |
| ellos, ellas – ustedes | están | they are – you are (formal plural) |
Examples
| Yo estoy cansada | I am tired | |
| Tú estás listo | You are ready | |
| Ella está cerca | She is near | |
| Nosotros estamos aquí | We are here | |
| Vosotros estáis enfermos | You are (plural) sick | |
| Ellos están hablando | They are speaking |
