Cheatsheet: Ser, estar, hay, gustar
Ser, estar, hay, gustar
Ser and Estar
| Point | Rule | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| First phrases | ser in the first phrases: soy / eres / es / son | Soy Ana. / ¿Eres Pablo? / Son las dos. | I'm Ana. / Are you Pablo? / It's two o'clock. |
| First phrases | vosotros: sois | ¿Vosotros sois hermanos? | Are you brothers? |
| A1Form | ser: soy / eres / es / somos / son | Soy de México. | I'm from Mexico. |
| A1Form | estar: estoy / estás / está / estamos / están | Estoy en casa. | I'm at home. |
| A1Form | vosotros: sois / estáis | ¿Sois hermanos? | Are you brothers? |
| A1Identity | ser: name, job, nationality, origin | Mi madre es médica. | My mother is a doctor. |
| A1Description | ser: what someone or something is like | La casa es grande. | The house is big. |
| A1Time and date | ser: the hour, the day, the date | Son las tres. | It's three o'clock. |
| A1Place | estar: where someone or something is | El banco está en la plaza. | The bank is in the square. |
| A1State | estar: how someone feels or how something is now | Estoy cansada. | I'm tired. |
| A2Result | estar + past participle: the result of a change | La tienda está cerrada. | The shop is closed. |
| A1Material | ser + de: what it is made of | La mesa es de madera. | The table is made of wood. |
| A2Owner | ser + de: whose it is | El libro es de Luis. | The book is Luis's. |
| A1Trap | a place that never moves still takes estar | Madrid está en España. | Madrid is in Spain. |
Ser or Estar with Adjectives
| Point | Rule | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ser | what someone or something is like | Mi jefe es simpático. | My boss is nice. |
| A2estar | a state now, or the result of a change | La puerta está abierta. | The door is open. |
| A2Always estar | contento / lleno / roto and other states | El vaso está roto. | The glass is broken. |
| B1parecer | parecer + adjective: the adjective agrees with the subject | Los niños parecen cansados. | The children look tired. |
| A2Opinion | es + adjective + infinitive | Es importante dormir bien. | It's important to sleep well. |
| Trap | bien and mal are adverbs: they take estar | Todo está bien. | Everything is fine. |
| A2Trap | muerto takes estar: death is a state | El pez está muerto. | The fish is dead. |
Hay and Está
| Point | Rule | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| hay | un / una / unos, a number, mucho / poco | Hay una farmacia cerca. | There's a chemist's nearby. |
| hay | a plural or uncountable noun alone | Hay pan en la mesa. | There's bread on the table. |
| está | el / la / mi / este, a proper name | Mi casa está cerca. | My house is nearby. |
| Number | está for one thing, están for several | Los niños están en el parque. | The children are in the park. |
| Question | hay to find something, dónde está for its place | ¿Hay un baño por aquí? / ¿Dónde está el baño? | Is there a toilet around here? / Where is the toilet? |
| Negative | no hay, usually without un / una | No hay leche. | There's no milk. |
| Trap | hay has one form for the singular and the plural | Hay muchos turistas. | There are lots of tourists. |
| Trap | a known thing takes está | El supermercado está en esta calle. | The supermarket is on this street. |
Gustar and Similar Verbs
| Point | Rule | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| First forms | me gusta / te gusta / le gusta | ¿Te gusta el café? — Sí, me gusta mucho. | Do you like coffee? — Yes, I like it a lot. |
| A2Form | me / te / le / nos / les + gusta / gustan | Nos gusta la playa. | We like the beach. |
| A2Form | os gusta for vosotros | ¿Os gusta la comida? | Do you like the food? |
| A2Form | les gusta for any group of listeners | ¿Les gusta la comida? | Do you like the food? |
| gusta | one thing, or one or more infinitives | Me gusta bailar. | I like dancing. |
| gustan | several things | Me gustan los perros. | I like dogs. |
| A2The person | a + person, with the pronoun as well | A mi madre le gusta el té. | My mother likes tea. |
| A2Agreeing | a mí también / a mí tampoco / a mí sí / a mí no | Me gusta el fútbol. — A mí también. | I like football. — So do I. |
| A2encantar | “love”: works like gustar | Me encanta esta canción. | I love this song. |
| A2Similar verbs | doler / interesar / importar / parecer / quedar | Me duele la cabeza. | I've got a headache. |
| Trap | the person is me / te / le, never the subject | Me gusta el chocolate. | I like chocolate. |
| Trap | the thing liked takes its article: la música | Me gusta la música. | I like music. |