The Spanish verb ser is one of the most important verbs in the language. It is used to express identity, nationality, profession, and other essential information about people and things. In this post, we will provide a complete guide to the Spanish verb ser, covering its conjugation, usage, and common mistakes to avoid.
By the end of this post, you will be able to use the Spanish verb ser with confidence and fluency!
The verb Ser explained
The Verb Ser means (To be) and is a crucial verb to know in Spanish. The verb Ser allows you to speak about yourself and others. Learning how to conjugate the verb ser in the present tense will enable you to talk about yourself and others regarding when you want to say, “I am … You are … He is … etc.”
The conjugation of the verb Ser are:
| English | Spanish | Ser Conjugation |
| I am | Yo | soy |
| You are | tú | eres |
| He/she/you (formal) is | Él/Ella/Usted | es |
| We are | Nosotros/Nosotras | somos |
| You (Spain) are | Vosotros/Vosotras | sois |
| They/They/You are | Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | son |
How to Conjugate Ser video lesson
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How to Conjugate Ser
In simple terms, it means that we will change a verb to match the person who is performing the action.
Ser conjugation tips and tricks
If you memorize the subject pronouns, then you only have to learn: soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son. You will automatically know what subject pronoun they match.
You may choose to omit the subject pronoun for Yo and Tú. You may omit the subject pronoun once you have established who we are talking about for the other subject pronouns.
Make up a small chant to help you memorize: soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son.
Deep Dive: Ser conjugations
Yo (I) → soy
“Yo soy” means: I am.
Since the conjugation for yo is only for that subject pronoun, we could omit the subject pronoun and simply say “soy” to say I am.
Let’s look at an example:
The word “bajo(a)” means short. Remember that most adjectives have gender.
To say I am short, I could say:
Yo soy baja.
Or
Soy baja.
Tú (you informal) → eres
Tú eres means: You are.
In this case, you can also omit the subject pronoun and simply say “eres” to say you are.
Example:
The word inteligente means intelligent.
To say you are intelligent you could say:
Tú eres inteligente.
Or
Eres inteligente.
Èl/Ella/ Ud (you formal) → es
Since él/ella/Ud. share the same conjugation, and it is essential to use the subject pronoun to make sure we know who we are all talking about. Once the subject is established, you don’t have to continue using the subject pronoun.
Èl es means: He is
Ella es means: She is
Ud. es means: You (formal) are
Example:
Èl es bajo. = He is short.
Ella es inteligente. = She is intelligent
Ud. es inteligente. = You (formal) are intelligent.
Nosotros (nosotras) → somos
Nosotros somos means: We are. Remember that nosotros includes you, and it is about a group you are part of in which is mixed or ALL males.
Nosotras somos means: We are. Remember that nosotras includes you, and it is about a group you are part of in which ALL are females.
The conjugation for nosotros(as) DOES NOT change in gender. Verbs do not change.
Example:
The word alto(a) means tall.
Nosotros somos altos.
Nosotras somos altas.
The subject pronoun can be omitted. You could also say
Somos altos.
Vosotros (vosotras) → sois
Vosotros sois means: You (plural in Spain) are. Vosotros and vosotras are used when talking TO a group of people. Do remember that we have to think about gender here.
Vosotras sois means: You (plural in Spain) are. Vosotras is used when talking TO a group of ONLY females.
The subject pronoun can also be omitted.
Example:
Vosotros sois inteligentes.
Vosotras sois inteligentes.
Sois inteligentes.
Ellos/Ellas/Uds. → son
Since ellos/ellas/Uds. share the same conjugation, and it is vital to use the subject pronoun to make sure we know who we are all talking about. Once the subject is established, you don’t have to continue using the subject pronoun.
Ellos son means: They are. Remember that Ellos is used to talk ABOUT a group of males OR a mixed group of males and females (regardless of the ratio).
Ellas son means: They are. Remember that Ellas is used to talk ABOUT a group of females ONLY.
Uds. son means: You (plural) are.
Examples:
Ellos son altos.
Ellas son bajas.
Uds. son inteligentes.
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