Skip to main content
Humanities LibreTexts

2.5: Gramática- El verbo ser / Ser + de

  1. Last updated
  2. Save as PDF
  • Page ID
    171376

    • Erica Brown, Alejandra Escudero, María Cristina Montoya, & Elizabeth Small
    • SUNY Oneonta via OER SUNY
    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Objetivos

    • Identify the correct conjugations of the verb ser (to be)
    • Recognize possession indicated by ser + de

    El verbo ser

    Sign reading: soy professora mis alumn@s no son números
    aumento = increase; las aulas: classrooms

    The verb ser means “to be”. Just as “to be” has an irregular conjugation in English (I am, you are, he/she is…), the verb ser is very irregular in Spanish. Therefore, it is important that you memorize it! When you change the verb depending on the subject, like the example below, you are conjugating the verb. In Spanish to conjugate verbs, you will give them a different form for each of the six subject pronouns.

    Examples of conjugating with singular subjects:

    • Yo soy (I am) 
    • Tú eres (You are)
    • él es / ella es / usted es (He is / she is / you (formal) are)

    Examples of conjugating with plural subjects:

    • nosotros somos (We are) 
    • vosotros sois* (You are) 
    • ellos son / ellas son / ustedes son (They are / They (feminine) are / You (plural) are)
    ser (to be)
    singular plural
    yo soy   nosotros somos

    tú eres 

    		vosotros sois*

    él es / ella es / usted es  ellos son / ellas son / ustedes son

    * Remember that the “vosotros” form is only used in Spain. The Latin American equivalent is ustedes son.

    Photo of graffiti which reads: tu eres lo que ves
    lo que = what/ that which; ver (tú ves)=to watch, see

    Using ser

    Up to this point, you have seen ser used in the following ways:

    • to identify someone/something
      • Yo soy Manuel. 
      • Es mi cuaderno. 
    • to ask or say where someone is from (origin)
      • A: ¿De dónde son ustedes? 
      • B: Nosotros somos de los Estados Unidos. 
    • To ask and say your profession
      • A: ¿Eres profesor? 
      • B: No, yo soy estudiante. 
    • To describe something or someone.
      • El cuaderno es rojo. 
      • La profesora es inteligente. 
    • To ask and answer about dates.
      • ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?
      • Es el primero de marzo.

    Possession with ser

    Ser is also used to ascribe ownership, in combination with the preposition de (of). Be careful! English uses an apostrophe to say who something belongs to, but in Spanish we have to use a phrase with “de”.

    • El cuaderno azul es de Raúl. (The blue notebook is Raúl’s.)
    • El cuaderno de Raúl es azul. (Raúl’s notebook is blue.)

    A Practicar

    Contributors and Attributions

    CC licensed content, Shared previously
    • Gramu00e1tica: El verbo ser / Ser + de. Authored by: SUNY Oneonta with Lumen Learning. Provided by: SUNY Oneonta. License: CC BY: Attribution

    This page titled 2.5: Gramática- El verbo ser / Ser + de is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Erica Brown, Alejandra Escudero, María Cristina Montoya, & Elizabeth Small (OER SUNY) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.