how to conjugate the present tense of ser
Just participated in a first class of beginner Spanish.
Assignment was to learn how to conjugate the present tense of the verb ser
5 Answers
Hi donna2b, and welcome to the SpanishDict "Answers" forum.
You might like to have a look at our conjugation tool which will give you each conjugated form of a verb you wish to study. To get to it, simply click on the "More" tab located near the top of the screen to bring up a list of options, and then click on the "Conjugation" option that you find. Here is a direct link to the page for ser: Ser conjugation (by the way, the tense you are likely looking for is the "present indicative" which is found in the box on the left.
Also, if you are planning on studying these forms, you might try the following website which has an online verb conjugation trainer for learning verb conjugations, and it can be quite helpful for this purpose: http://www.spaleon.com/pres.php
You use the verb ser for characteristics (physical, personality, nacionalidad) that can't change.
I would be careful with pseudo rules such as temporary vs. permanent. While they may seem like helpful shortcuts, they fail in many instances and can actually be detrimental to developing a true understanding of when to use one or the other. For example:
Soy muy gordo y necesito métodos para bajar de peso, ¿cómo puedo adelgazar rápido? ? I am very fat and need ways to lose weight. How can I slim down quickly?
If the physical trait described by the word "gordo/fat" were really an unchangeable characteristic then the question would make no sense. That is to say that it would be unreasonable to ask how to change an unchangeable condition. Nevertheless, words that describe changeable attributes such as "delgado (thin)," "gordo (fat)," "pelirrojo (red-headed)," "estudiante (a student)," etc. are often used with the verb "ser."
Instead of temporary vs. physical, it might be better to consider the CID rule (Classify, Identify, Define) when addressing the difference between Ser and Estar. From this perspective, we use the verb "ser" with attributes such as described above to classify an individual or to identify them by certain features or characteristics. A more comprehensive handling of this topic can be found in the reference section or by following this link: Ser y Estar (By Lazarus)
(yo) soy (tu) eres (él/ella/usted) es (nosotros) somos (vosotros) soís (ellos/ellas/ustedes) son
You use the verb ser for characteristics (physical, personality, nacionalidad) that can't change. soy alto, realistica, norteamericano, y soy de Indianápolis. I'm tall, realistic, american y from Indianapolis.
use the verb estar when you talk abotu however you feel, wherever you are, always use the verb estar
But if you just want a general and basic rule that will apply to most times, know that "ser" is for permanent characteristics and that "estar" is for temporary characteristics.
Temporary and permanent!? Really?
Está muerto ? He's dead [estar]
What is temporary about being dead? Is he planning on coming back to life?
La ciudad de Houston está en Texas ? The city of Houston is in Texas [estar]
And what is temporary about the location of Houston? Is it moving any time soon?
Luisa es estudiante de medicina ? Luisa is a medical student [ser]
How about being a student? What is permanent about that? Does this mean that a medical student will never be able to graduate and become a doctor?
Rio de Janeiro, fue la capital de Brasil hasta que Brasilia fue construida. Y ahora Brasilia es la capital del país. ? Rio de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil until Brasilia was founded, and now, Brasilia is the nation's capital. [ser]
How about this paradox. How is it possible that a "permanent" condition is no longer true? Namely, how is it possible that Rio de Janeiro was once the capital, but no longer is?
El señor González siempre está dispuesto a ayudar a los demás ? Mr. Gonzalez is always ready to help others. [estar]
And how is it possible that Mr. Gonzalez is always ready to help others if being ready to help is a temporary condition?
And how about this little tidbit from Terra México:
El supuesto novio de la actriz es casado y tienen hijos. ? The actress' supposed boyfriend is married with children. [ser]
Given human nature and the fact that the "boyfriend" in the story is already married, it might be difficult to sustain an argument whose premise rests on the idea that this marriage must be a permanent condition. In fact, given the details of the story, I would suggest that even the probability of such a "permanent" condition continuing are fairly low.
Aside from the examples already listed, there are countless examples that might be introduced to refute the so-called temporary/permanent "rule." As I mentioned earlier, strict adherence to such a standard is bound to lead to confusion. Stated bluntly, the permanent/temporary dichotomy is misleading, and I suggest you check out the link to the reference article mentioned in my earlier response (ser y estar by Lazarus).
If you wish to avoid such confusion in the future, all you really have to remember is that the main difference between the two terms lies in the following ideas:
Ser is reserved for describing the essence or nature of something or describing a defining characteristic, and estar is used for describing a state or condition.
Remember, "ser" is an irregular verb. So if you want to conjugate that, just remember its conjugations. Plus, ser and estar both mean "to be", but have different times when you use them. So be careful of that; that is one of the Spanish-learners' worst nightmares. Look at the reference section of this site to learn more about ser. It is very complex. But if you just want a general and basic rule that will apply to most times, know that "ser" is for permanent characteristics and that "estar" is for temporary characteristics.
cowens886 has it right for the conjugations. Look at the dictionary for more conjugations.
