The Uses of Ser

This morning, my student and I delved into the verb ser, which is the most frequently used verb in the Spanish lexicon. Now, my student was exhibiting some real labor pains trying to grasp the concept of this verb, but his angst was probably the result of making things more difficult than they really are.

Below is a rough outline of when to use ser. I made it as simple as possible, so you wouldn't be reaching for your last clump of hair with the intention of yanking it out. Enjoy!

Ser is used for:

Describing something:
La casa es de madera. The house is (made) of wood.
El mantel es de lana. The blanket is (made) of wool.

Physical/Personal Characteristic:
La basquetbolista es muy alta. The basketball player is really tall.
Mario es muy amable. Mario is very friendly.

Origination:
Soy de los Estados Unidos. I am from the United States.
Esa camisa es de Pakistan. That shirt is from Pakistan.
Nosotros somos de origen mexicano. We are of Mexican origin.

Nationality:
Elena es canadiense. Elena is Canadian.
Ellas son europeanas. They are Europeans.

Possession (ser + de):
Este reloj es de mi. This watch is mine.
Ese automóvil es de Juan. That is Juan's automobile.

Telling Dates and Times:
Son las cinco de la tarde. It's five in the afternoon.
Es jueves. It is Thursday.

Professions:
Yo soy maestro de español. I am a Spanish teacher.
Mi padre es electricista. My dad is an electrician.

Last but not least, here are some things to remember about this verb:

• Ser is used before adjectives to indicate that the condition expressed by the adjectives does not result from a change.
• These adjectives express inherent qualities and characteristics such as nationality, physical attributes, personality, etc.
• Ser is ALWAYS used to tell dates, times, professions and religions. When referring to a profession/career, the indefinite article is omitted.

By the way, I always tell my students that when in doubt, and you are not referring to someone's location on a map, then use the verb ser. Hope that helps, but I'm sure you'll be back for more.

Sigue estudiando,

Professor Joel