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The ¡Hola Amigos! Newsletter Or The Gringos Unidos Newsletter Or News from Sherri’s Southern School of Spanish Published Monthly Volume I Number IV April 2007 ¡Hola! y ¿Cómo estás? To be or not to be or which “to be” to use? In español this can be a very confusing and downright frustrating question. Don’t think this “chiquitito” (itty bitty) newsletter can clear it all up for you, but it can give you some generalities and pointers. Maybe this’ll be a two-parter. The verbs listed as “to be” officially are “ser” and “estar.” Unofficially there are others that can be translated this way too in certain situations or phrases, such as “tener,” “hacer” and at least one form of “haber” (hay). “Ser” is used for more permanent states of being. It is used for gender, identity, nationality, intrinsic and physical qualities, and profession. “Estar” is used for more temporary states of being that are liable to change more quickly. It is used for changeable physical conditions, such as feelings, doings, and location. Okay, so here goes. Conjugating Ser and Estar Ser Estar I am Yo soy Yo estoy You are (familiar) Tú eres Tú estás He/she is Él /ella es Él /ella está You are (formal) Usted es Usted está We are Nosotros somos Nosotros estamos You all (plural) are Ustedes son Ustedes están They are Ellos son Ellos están
Examples I am a woman. Yo soy una mujer. For “ser” He is Richard. Él es Ricardo. You are an American. Usted es una americana. (formal, female) (…un americano for a guy.) We are smart. Somos inteligentes. I am short and chubby. Soy baja y gordita. He is the boss. Él es el jefe. Examples I am happy. Estoy feliz. For “estar” Are you nervous? ¿Estás nerviosa?(familiar,girl) (¿Estás nervioso? for a guy.) I am sleeping. Estoy dormiendo. They are reading the paper. Están leyendo el diario. We are at home. Estamos en casa. I am in the pool. Estoy en la piscina.
Exhausting isn’t it? But it’s not so hard once you get the hang of it. And if you do it wrong, so what? Trial and error is a marvelous method. And it makes for more conversation. Sneaky, huh? Just keep on keepin’on. I think we’ll leave some more for next time. After all, there’s always more. So we’ll be hungry and thirsty and 50, or whatever age you happen to claim at the moment, next time. And we’ll learn it’s sunny or windy or whatever too. Gollee there’s a lot to learn. Hasta entonces. Until then… Take care. Cuídanse. ¡Gracias! If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please click here, enter “Cancel” in the subject line, and send it.
The ¡Hola Amigos! Newsletter Or The Gringos Unidos Newsletter Or News from Sherri’s Southern School of Spanish Sherri Brownkatz Certified Teacher (863) 533-9161 (home) (813) 763-6333 (cell)
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