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"Was" is a form of "be", a copular verb which is often translated as "ser". "She" is a pronoun which is often translated as "ella". Learn more about the difference between "was" and "she" below.
be(
bi
)
A copular verb links the subject of a clause to the predicate (e.g., My brother is tall).
copular verb
a. ser
The ocean is blue.El océano es azul.
a. estar
I'm not in a good mood today.Hoy no estoy de buen humor.
The sky is cloudy.El cielo está nublado.
b. tener
Are you cold? I can lend you a sweater.¿Tienes frío? Te puedo prestar un suéter.
I'm so hungry.Tengo muchísima hambre.
a. ser
France is a member of the European Union.Francia es un miembro de la Unión Europea.
a. ser
What do you do for a living? - I'm a doctor.¿A qué te dedicas? - Soy médico.
a. ser
My birthday is July 26th.Mi cumpleaños es el 26 de julio.
b. estar a (present day)
Today is Thursday.Hoy estamos a jueves.
a. ser
Be polite with guests.Sé educado con los invitados.
b. estar
Be quiet and don't move!¡Estate callado y no te muevas!
a. tener
My brother is 30 years old.Mi hermano tiene 30 años.
a. costar
One pizza and two drinks are $15.Una pizza y dos bebidas cuestan $15.
b. ser
Shipping is three dollars.El envío es tres dólares.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
intransitive verb
a. ser
The party is at my place.La fiesta es en mi casa.
a. estar
My sister is in her room.Mi hermana está en su habitación.
a. estar
I've been to New York three times.He estado en Nueva York tres veces.
b. venir
The mailman has been here, but he didn't bring your package.El cartero ha venido, pero no trajo tu paquete.
An impersonal verb is a verb with no apparent subject (e.g., Llueve en España.).
impersonal verb
a. haber
There are no trees on our road.No hay árboles en nuestra calle.
a. ser
It is bedtime.Es hora de ir a dormir.
a. hacer
It's too windy to go up in a balloon.Hace demasiado viento para ir en globo.
An auxiliary verb, or helper verb, is a conjugated verb that comes before a main verb and determines the main verb's tense, mood, or aspect (e.g., I have gone.).
auxiliary verb
a. estar
I am reading a book.Estoy leyendo un libro.
a. ser
The church was built in 1900.La iglesia fue construida en 1900.
a.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
I'm going to the party. - So am I.Voy a la fiesta. - Yo también.
It is a lovely day, isn't it?Es un día precioso, ¿verdad?
a.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
I don't know how much salt is to be added to the sauce.No sé cuánta sal hay que añadir a la salsa.
The assignment is to be done by next Thursday.La tarea tiene que estar para el jueves que viene.
a.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
My baby is due in three months.Mi bebé nacerá dentro de tres meses.
Tomorrow, I'm going to the dentist.Mañana voy al dentista.
a.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
Had it not been for his family, he would have never become an artist.Si no fuera por su familia, nunca habría sido artista.
If I were you, I would not go.Yo en tu lugar, no iría.
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she(
shi
)
A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun (e.g., she).
pronoun
a. ella
She was the one who called the police.Ella fue la que llamó a la policía.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
noun
a. la niña
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(F)
(human)
Have you found out the sex of the baby? - It's a she.¿Ya saben el sexo del bebé? - Es una niña.
b. la nena
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(F)
(human)
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
(Latin America)
We'll be happy whether the baby's a he or a she.Estaremos felices aunque el bebé sea nene o nena.
c. la hembra
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(F)
(animal)
We have a new puppy; it's a she.Tenemos un cachorro nuevo, es una hembra.
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