ToBe--Ser
Concept: "Ser" in Spanish
Purpose:
"Ser" is one of the two verbs in Spanish that means to be (the other is "estar"). It is used to describe essential characteristics, identity, time, origin, profession, and more.
Key Idea:
"Ser" is used when talking about permanent or defining qualities, such as nationality, personality, physical characteristics, professions, and relationships. It also expresses time, dates, and possession.
Conjugations of "Ser":
Here are the main conjugations of "ser" in the most commonly used tenses.
| Tense | Yo (I) | Tú (You) | Él/Ella/Usted (He/She/You formal) | Nosotros (We) | Vosotros (You all - informal) | Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes (They/You all) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | soy | eres | es | somos | sois | son |
| Preterite | fui | fuiste | fue | fuimos | fuisteis | fueron |
| Imperfect | era | eras | era | éramos | erais | eran |
| Future | seré | serás | será | seremos | seréis | serán |
| Conditional | sería | serías | sería | seríamos | seríais | serían |
| Present Subjunctive | sea | seas | sea | seamos | seáis | sean |
| Imperfect Subjunctive | fuera | fueras | fuera | fuéramos | fuerais | fueran |
Use Case:
The verb ser is used in many contexts:
- Identity: Yo soy estudiante (I am a student). - I-am--Soy
- Origin: Ellos son de España (They are from Spain).
- Time/Date: Hoy es lunes (Today is Monday).
- Characteristics: Ella es alta (She is tall).
- Profession: Mi padre es doctor (My father is a doctor).
Examples:
- Present: Soy profesor (I am a teacher).
- Preterite: Fui a la fiesta (I went to the party).
- Imperfect: Cuando era niño... (When I was a child...).
- Future: Seré ingeniero (I will be an engineer).
- Conditional: Sería fantástico viajar (It would be fantastic to travel).
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