Uses of ser, estar and haber

Capítulo 1
Gramática 1
Uses of "ser", "estar" and "haber"
She is a lawyer. She is smart. She is married. Her suit is made of wool. She is not well
today. She is from Denver. There is something strange about her. Is, is, is, is, is, is. It is
all the same verb, right? To be. Nothing could be more simple. Well, at least in English.
In English we generally have only this verb to translate what in Spanish are two distinct
verbs, ser and estar, verbs that for Spanish speakers cover very different fields of
meaning.
SER is used to talk about characteristics perceived to be inherent and essential, part of a
person's identity and personality. ESTAR is used to talk about states or conditions
resulting from or subject to change.
Physical characteristics, temperament, profession, wealth, general well-being, are for the
most part considered inherent or defining characteristics and therefore require SER.
Moods and physical conditions are not seen as inherent or defining, but subject to change
and affected by outside factors like disease, surprise, etc. They require ESTAR.
SER
Todos sus hijos son inteligentes y muy bien
educados.
All their children are intelligent and well
mannered.
(Intelligence and good manners are
considered inherent characteristics of the
children)
ESTAR
Sus hijos están mal hoy y de mal humor.
Their children are ill today and in bad
temper.
(Being ill and being in a bad mood are
considered conditions not inherent to the
children.)
El alcalde es muy conservador en su vida
personal, pero liberal en la política.
The mayor is very conservative in his
private life but liberal in politics.
(Being conservative and liberal are
considered inherent or essential
characteristics of the mayor.)
Estamos preocupados por los resultados de
las elecciones.
We are worried about the results of the
elections.
(Being worried is not thought of as inherent
or essential, but rather brought on by an
external provocation, in this case the
election.)
Cuando conocí al nuevo director, noté que
aunque era joven, su frente era arrugada.
When I met the new director I noticed that
although he was young his forehead was
wrinkled.
(Being young is an essential characteristic
of the new director, and wrinkled is an
essential physical aspect of his forehead.)
Mi madre no es tan vieja pero está cansada
últimamente por todo el trabajo que tiene.
My mother is not that old but she is tired
lately from the work she has.
(While being not that old is viewed as an
essential characteristic, and requires SER,
being tired is seen as having been caused
by overwork, and not essential to the
mother's normal state.
Es pobre porque es joven, pero es muy
diligente y listo y un día será rico.
He is poor because he is young, but he is
very hardworking and bright, and one day
he will be rich.
(Being poor, young, hardworking and
bright are all essential characteristics. One
day, being rich will be a defining
characteristic of the same person.)
Está desilusionado porque pensaba que iba
a ser millonario antes de cumplir 25 años,
pero es esencialmente optimista y creo que
pronto se recuperará.
He's depressed because he thought he
would be a millionaire before turning 25,
but he's essentially an optimist and I
believe he will recover soon.
(Being depressed is not seen as essential to
the man's character.)
Su padre fue carpintero.
His father was a carpenter.
Soy ateo pero mis abuelo fue sacerdote.
I am an atheist but my grandfather was a
priest.
No no, Max es un perro, no es mi hijo.
No no, Max is a dog, he's not my son.
There are no contrasts with ESTAR for
these sentences. ESTAR is never followed
by a noun because nouns linked together
with SER establish identities. To say
someone is a carpenter or a priest is to
identify that person. Being a dog or being
a boy is every bit as essential or inherent
as being tall or being smart.
Hoy es viernes.
Today is Friday.
Some adjectives used with ESTAR can be perplexing at first to English speakers because
they don't think of them as subject to change like being sick or worried or tired. Being
alive or dead, being married or divorced, however, fit within the general uses of ESTAR
because they are conditions resulting from physical change or change in social or civil
status.
Se casó en 1961. Está casada con un hombre raro.
She got married in 1961. She is married to a strange man.
Todo el mundo sabe que JLo y Ben van a estar divorciados en menos de un año después
de casarse.
Everyone knows that JLo and Ben will be divorced less than a year after they get
married.
Su abuela nació en 1910 y todavía está viva.
Her grandmother was born in 1910 and she is still alive.
Su abuelo está muerto. Murió hace unos 20 años.
Her grandfather is dead. He died some twenty years ago.
Given the contrast between essential or inherent characteristics and conditions subject to
or resulting from change, many adjectives will take on different shades of meaning
depending on their use with SER and ESTAR. Here are a few examples.
SER
Nadie puede leer sus
poemas porque son tan
aburridos.
No one can read his poems
because they are so boring.
ESTAR
Decidí leer el poema porque
no tenía nada que hacer y
estaba aburrida.
I decided to read the poem
because I had nothing to do
and I was bored.
bueno
El doctor Atkins dice que la
carne es buena para tu
salud.
Dr. Atkins says that meat is
good for your health.*
La carne que tuvimos
anoche estuvo muy buena.
Me pregunto como la
habían preparado.
The meat we had last night
was very good (tasted very
good). I wonder how they
had prepared it.*
callado
Isabel es inteligente pero
nadie lo sabe porque es
callada.
Isabel is intelligent but no
one knows it because she is
reserved.
Te pido que estés callada
para que nadie nos escuche.
I'm asking you to be quiet
so that no one hears us.
decidido
Todo el mundo piensa que
Laura será presidente de
alguna empresa porque es
tan decidida.
Everyone thinks Laura will
be president of some
company because she is so
resolute.
Tardamos mucho pero
ahora estamos decididos.
Vamos a Francia para las
vacaciones.
We took a long time but
now we are decided. We
are going to France for
vacation.
aburrido
Las manzanas en aquellos
manzanares están verdes.
Déjalas en el árbol.
The apples on those trees
are not ripe.*
* Notice how in the examples for "bueno" and "verde", the distinctions are made in
English with the use or omission of the article (Meat is good, this meat was good [tasted
good]/Apples are green, the apples are green [unripe]). In Spanish, the same distinctions
are made with the use of "ser" and "estar".
verde
Las manzanas pueden ser
verdes.
Apples can be green.*
SER is used in the true passive voice, much less common in Spanish than in English.
ESTAR can be used with the same past participles to describe the resulting condition of
the action expressed in the passive.
SER (passive)
Aquel edificio fue construido por los
arquitectos Gálvez y Urbina en 1882.
That building was built by the architects
Gálvez and Urbina in 1882.
(Describes the action of being built and
identifies the agent of the action - Gálvez
and Urbina - introduced with the
preposition "por".)
ESTAR
La entrada de aquel edificio está
construida de hierro y madera.
The entrance to that building is made of
iron and wood.
(Does not refer to the act of being built, but
rather describes the physical composition
of the entrance.)
El editorial fue escrito por un sindicalista
prominente.
The editorial was written by a prominent
union leader.
Creo que las demandas de los sindicatos
están escritas en el editorial que salió en el
periódico ayer.
I believe the demands of the unions are
written in the editorial that came out in the
newspaper this morning.
Students of Spanish have learned that ESTAR is used for expressions of location, but
SER is also used to talk about where something might be. It depends on what is being
situated. Use ESTAR for concrete things, things you can touch (even if you might be
arrested). Use SER for events, things that happen or occur. SER with location often can
be rendered in English as "to take place" ("tener lugar" in Spanish).
SER
El profesor Ayala les dijo que el examen
sería en la misma aula.
Professor Ayala told them the exam would
be (would take place) in the same
classroom.
ESTAR
El examen está en el escritorio del profesor
Ayala. Lo miré y parece difícil.
The exam is on Professor Ayala's desk. I
looked at it and it looks difficult.
El debate será en la cámara de diputados.
The debate will be in the house of deputies.
Los diputados están en casa durante las
vacaciones.
The deputies are at home during the
vacation.
HABER
The third person singular of the verb "haber" is used to express what in English is
articulated as "there is" or "there are". It can be used in all tenses and moods.
Lo siento. No hay nadie aquí que te pueda
ayudar.
I'm sorry. There is no one here who can
help you.
Va a haber muchas personas famosas en el There will be many famous people at the
estreno de la nueva película de Almodóvar. opening of Almodóvar's new movie.
Hubo un incendio devastador en Cataluña
este mes.
There was a devastating fire in Catalonia
this month.
Hay varios libros sobre la economía
española que te pueden interesar.
There are many books about the Spanish
economy that might interest you.
English speakers can confuse "haber" with "estar". The meanings of these words can
often be quite close:
Hay dos policías en mi oficina.
There are two policemen in my office.
Los dos policías están en mi oficina.
The two policemen are in my office.
"Haber" is used in a sense to take inventory. Given a place, "haber" will tell you what is
there. "Estar" is used to locate. Given a thing or a person, "estar" will tell you where it
is.
HABER
ESTAR
En Guernica, el cuadro famoso de Picasso, Guerinca, el famoso cuadro de Picasso,
está en Madrid.
hay varias figuras distorsionadas y una
figura serena que representa la esperanza.
Guernica, the famous painting by Picasso,
is in Madrid.
In Guernica, the famous painting by
Picasso, there are several distorted figures
and one serene figure that represents hope.
En la nevera hay un cartón de leche, una
botella de champaña, pan, mantequilla y
dos huevos.
In the refrigerator there is a carton of milk,
a bottle of champaign, bread, butter, and
two eggs.
Los huevos están en la nevera.
The eggs are in the refrigerator.
Práctica 1.1
En los espacios en blanco, escribe una forma de ser, estar o haber.
La ciudad de Córdoba, que __________ en Andalucía, __________ la capital de
los moros del siglo VIII hasta el siglo XIII. Su famosa mezquita, y el barrio donde se
encuentra, __________ ejemplos de la coexistencia multisecular de las tres culturas más
representativas de la ciudad: la musulmana, la judía y la cristiana. La construcción de la
mezquita empezó en 785, y los moros añadieron al edificio hasta que llegó al tamaño que
__________ hoy. Los cristianos tomaron Córdoba en 1236 y muchos judíos
establecieron sus casas alrededor de la mezquita. La judería __________ hermosa y
__________ numerosos patios floreados en la zona. En la judería __________ muchos
talleres y restaurantes. Hoy __________ de moda dar un paseo por sus estrechos
callejones que siempre __________ llenos de turistas. El mercado semanal __________
cada martes y ahí siempre __________ mucha artesanía de plata.
Práctica 1.2
Escribe una forma de ser, estar o haber en el espacio.
Melilla _______________ una ciudad que _______________ en el norte de
África; sin embargo, _______________ territorio español. En Melilla _______________
mucha pobreza y muchos de los ciudadanos _______________ hartos de la situación
económica. Actualmente _______ _______ unos 8.000 inmigrantes que buscan cruzar
las turbulentas aguas del Estrecho.
A pesar de la pobreza, _______________ gran número de actividades culturales.
El Concierto de las Cuatro Culturas _______________ cada verano y _______________
museos que muestran el arte de las culturas hindú, sefardí, árabe y cristiana. Melilla tiene
un potencial turístico muy prometedor pero aún no lo ha realizado porque los turistas
todavía no _______________ convencidos de la seguridad y comodidad de la ciudad.