One English “to be”, three Spanish choices
CEFR A1
What you will learn
- Decide whether a message identifies, locates or introduces an existing entity.
- Select the present form of ser or estar that agrees with the subject.
- Use invariant hay with indefinite or quantified entities and estar with a named or definite entity.
The idea
English “to be” covers several jobs. Spanish separates three of the most frequent A1 jobs: “ser” identifies or classifies, “estar” locates a known entity or reports its current state, and “hay” introduces the existence of something. The useful question is not simply “permanent or temporary?”. Location uses “estar” even when it is permanent, and an event uses “ser” to say where it takes place.
Locations of people and objects use “estar”, whether the location lasts five minutes or fifty years. Events use “ser” for the place where they happen: “La reunión es en la biblioteca”.
“Hay” does not normally take a definite noun phrase as its introduced entity. Say “Hay un banco” to introduce it, then “El banco está cerca” once it is identified.
Complete present forms of ser and estar
| person | ser | estar |
|---|---|---|
| yo | soy | estoy |
| tú | eres | estás |
| él / ella / usted | es | está |
| nosotros / nosotras | somos | estamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | sois | estáis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | son | están |
How it sounds
- Hay una farmacia. La farmacia está al lado de la estación.The first sentence introduces an unnamed entity, so use “hay” with “una farmacia”. The second sentence names the same definite entity with “la farmacia”. A known entity's location uses “estar”.
Your turn
Two or three, to check that the bit above landed.
Introduce the bicycles shown in the square: ___ tres bicicletas en la plaza.
Hay — The sentence introduces a counted set that exists in the scene, so hay is required and remains singular in form.
Locate the identified fountain: La fuente ___ en el centro de la plaza.
está — “La fuente” is a definite, identified object, and the sentence gives its location.
State the visible material: El banco ___ de madera.
es — Material classifies what the bench is made of, so Spanish uses ser.
When it doesn't hold
What breaks the rule, said out loud. Hiding it is what makes you feel cheated in the exam.
What your own language pushes you to say
Wrong Hay la biblioteca en la plaza y el libro es en la mesa.
Right La biblioteca está en la plaza y el libro está en la mesa.
Both entities are definite and already identified, so their locations require estar, not hay or ser.
Once it makes sense
Practise this: “Ser” or “estar”: two verbs for one “to be”Practise this: “Hay” or “está”Everything agrees: nouns, articles and adjectivesThe present tense: three endings and you can talkQuestions and negatives: less machinery than English