Ser vs Estar – English-Spanish Sentence Quiz
Ser y estar – Oraciones en inglés y español
Spanish has two verbs for “to be”. Ser says what something is: identity, origin, profession, characteristics, time and dates. Estar says where something is and how it is right now: location, feelings, temporary conditions, and the -ing form (estoy estudiando). The sentences come in pairs so you can see the contrast. Practice 42 sentences in both directions (English ⇄ Spanish).
Quick guide
| SER | ESTAR |
|---|---|
| who / what it is: Es mi hermana. | where it is: Está en casa. |
| origin, nationality: Soy de México. | how it feels now: Estoy cansado. |
| profession: Soy maestro. | temporary condition: La sopa está fría. |
| characteristics: Es alta. | result of a change: La puerta está abierta. |
| time, date, events: Son las dos. La fiesta es en mi casa. | -ing actions: Estoy estudiando. |
Some adjectives change meaning: es aburrido (boring) / está aburrido (bored); es listo (clever) / está listo (ready); es verde (green) / está verde (unripe).
First time? Read the instructions
| # | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I am a teacher. | Soy maestro. |
| 2 | I am tired. | Estoy cansado. |
| 3 | She is tall. | Es alta. |
| 4 | She is at home. | Está en casa. |
| 5 | He is Mexican. | Es mexicano. |
| 6 | He is sick. | Está enfermo. |
| 7 | We are friends. | Somos amigos. |
| 8 | We are ready. | Estamos listos. |
| 9 | They are students. | Son estudiantes. |
| 10 | They are in class. | Están en clase. |
| 11 | It is two o’clock. | Son las dos. |
| 12 | Today is Monday. | Hoy es lunes. |
| 13 | The party is at my house. | La fiesta es en mi casa. |
| 14 | The book is on the table. | El libro está en la mesa. |
| 15 | The soup is cold. (right now) | La sopa está fría. |
| 16 | Ice is cold. (by nature) | El hielo es frío. |
| 17 | He is boring. (personality) | Es aburrido. |
| 18 | He is bored. (right now) | Está aburrido. |
| 19 | She is clever. | Es lista. |
| 20 | She is ready. | Está lista. |
| 21 | The apple is green. (color) | La manzana es verde. |
| 22 | The apple is unripe. | La manzana está verde. |
| 23 | I am from Mexico. | Soy de México. |
| 24 | I am in Mexico. | Estoy en México. |
| 25 | The door is made of wood. | La puerta es de madera. |
| 26 | The door is open. | La puerta está abierta. |
| 27 | It’s important. | Es importante. |
| 28 | It’s clear. (obvious) | Está claro. |
| 29 | Where are you from? (informal) | ¿De dónde eres? |
| 30 | Where are you? (informal) | ¿Dónde estás? |
| 31 | How are you? (informal) | ¿Cómo estás? |
| 32 | What are you like? (informal) | ¿Cómo eres? |
| 33 | I am a happy person. | Soy feliz. |
| 34 | I am happy right now. | Estoy contento. |
| 35 | I am studying. | Estoy estudiando. |
| 36 | The coffee is hot. | El café está caliente. |
| 37 | Today is my birthday. | Hoy es mi cumpleaños. |
| 38 | This is my sister. | Esta es mi hermana. |
| 39 | The store is closed. | La tienda está cerrada. |
| 40 | My car is new. | Mi carro es nuevo. |
| 41 | The car is dirty. | El carro está sucio. |
| 42 | She is married. | Está casada. |
Frequently asked questions
- How many words are in this quiz?
- This quiz has 42 English–Spanish word pairs, with two-way practice (English → Spanish and Spanish → English) and mini-quizzes.