Ser or Estar with Adjectives
A1–B1Ser, estar, hay, gustar 4 min
Ser with an adjective says what someone or something is like; estar says how they are now, or after a change. The same person takes both verbs, with different adjectives: Ana es alegre. Ana está cansada.
No information at the current level. This view starts at A1: choose A1 or a higher level.
No information at the current level. This view starts at A1: choose A1 or a higher level.
CheatsheetA1–B1
| 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. |
OverviewA1–A2
- ser + adjective says what someone or something is like: La casa es grande. — The house is big.
- A2estar + adjective says how someone or something is now, or after a change: La casa está sucia. — The house is dirty.
- A2The basic uses of each verb: Ser and Estar.
Use: ser with an adjectiveA1–A2
| Use | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| Character | Mi jefe es simpático. | My boss is nice. |
| Appearance | Lucía es morena. | Lucía has dark hair. |
| Colour, shape, size | La bicicleta es roja. | The bike is red. |
| A2An opinion about an action | Es importante dormir bien. | It's important to sleep well. |
Use: estar with an adjectiveA1–A2
| Use | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| A state now | Estoy cansada. | I'm tired. |
| A2The result of a change | La puerta está abierta. | The door is open. |
| A2States that always take estar: contento / enfermo / lleno / roto | El vaso está roto. | The glass is broken. |
- bien and mal are adverbs, so they take estar: ¿Qué tal el hotel? — Está muy bien. — How's the hotel? — It's very good.
- A2muerto takes estar: death is a state. El pez está muerto. — The fish is dead.
Parecer with an adjectiveB1
- parecer joins a subject to an adjective like ser and estar, and the adjective agrees with the subject: Los niños parecen cansados. — The children look tired.
- parece + que takes a whole sentence and stays in the third person singular: Parece que los niños están cansados. — It looks as if the children are tired.
Typical errorsA1–B1
| ✗ | ✓ | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Es bien. | Está bien. | bien takes estar |
| A2El pez es muerto. | El pez está muerto. | muerto takes estar |
| A2La puerta es abierta. | La puerta está abierta. | the result of a change takes estar |
| B1Los niños parecen cansado. | Los niños parecen cansados. | after parecer, the adjective agrees with the subject |