ser

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be, be, take place, be, exist
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/seɾ/
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Connects someone or something with what is said about it.
Practice using ser in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • El filósofo estudió el ser y el tiempo.
    The philosopher studied being and time.
  • La puerta es abierta cada mañana por el portero.
    The door is opened every morning by the caretaker.
  • Para algunos filósofos, pensar y ser no son lo mismo.
    For some philosophers, to think and to exist are not the same.
  • Para ella, el ser no se reduce a la apariencia.
    For her, being cannot be reduced to appearance.
  • El ensayo contrapone el ser al parecer.
    The essay sets being against seeming.

Similar words

haber
esencia
existir
existencia
ente
individuo
criatura

Meanings

Identify or describe

verb
everyday
neutral
Links a person or thing to an identity, quality, origin, owner, or intended use without describing a passing state.

Examples

  • Mi hermana es médica.
    My sister is a doctor.
  • El cielo es azul.
    The sky is blue.
  • Nosotros somos de Chile.
    We are from Chile.
  • Estas llaves son de Ana.
    These keys are Ana’s.
  • Este vaso es para agua.
    This glass is for water.

Similar words

State time or event details

verb
time
neutral
Tells the time or date, or says when or where an event takes place.

Examples

  • Son las tres de la tarde.
    It is three in the afternoon.
  • Hoy es martes.
    Today is Tuesday.
  • La reunión será mañana a las nueve.
    The meeting will be tomorrow at nine.
  • ¿Dónde es el concierto?
    Where is the concert?
  • La boda fue en el jardín.
    The wedding was in the garden.

Similar words

Form the passive voice

verb
grammar
neutral
Joins a past participle to present an action from the point of view of the person or thing affected.

Examples

  • El puente fue construido en 1920.
    The bridge was built in 1920.
  • Los resultados serán publicados mañana.
    The results will be published tomorrow.
  • La carta ha sido enviada.
    The letter has been sent.
  • La puerta es abierta cada mañana por el portero.
    The door is opened every morning by the caretaker.
  • Los premios fueron entregados por la directora.
    The prizes were presented by the headteacher.

Similar words

Exist

verb
existence
formal
To exist or have reality, especially in reflective or philosophical writing.

Examples

  • Para algunos filósofos, pensar y ser no son lo mismo.
    For some philosophers, to think and to exist are not the same.
  • No basta con parecer, hay que ser.
    It is not enough to seem so, one must truly be.
  • Nada puede ser y no ser al mismo tiempo.
    Nothing can be and not be at the same time.
  • La obra pregunta si podemos conocer lo que es.
    The work asks whether we can know what exists.
  • Antes de toda palabra, algo ya era.
    Before any word was spoken, something already existed.

Similar words

existir
haber

A living being or creature

noun
living things
neutral
An individual living thing or imagined creature.

Examples

  • Todo ser vivo necesita agua.
    Every living being needs water.
  • El cuento habla de un ser extraño.
    The story is about a strange creature.
  • Cada ser merece respeto.
    Every being deserves respect.
  • Vieron un ser diminuto bajo la piedra.
    They saw a tiny creature beneath the stone.
  • No sabían qué ser había dejado esas huellas.
    They did not know what creature had left those tracks.

Similar words

ente
criatura
individuo

Existence itself

noun
philosophy
formal
The fact or nature of existing, especially as a subject of thought.

Examples

  • El filósofo estudió el ser y el tiempo.
    The philosopher studied being and time.
  • La pregunta por el ser ocupa todo el libro.
    The question of being fills the whole book.
  • Para ella, el ser no se reduce a la apariencia.
    For her, being cannot be reduced to appearance.
  • El ensayo contrapone el ser al parecer.
    The essay sets being against seeming.
  • Discutieron la relación entre el ser y la conciencia.
    They discussed the relation between being and consciousness.

Similar words

existencia
esencia

Etymology

Developed from Old Spanish seer, traced by the Spanish Royal Academy to Latin sedēre, “to sit”. Its forms also reflect a long history of irregular change.

FAQ

What does ser usually mean?

As a verb, ser usually means “to be” when identifying or describing someone or something.

How does ser differ from estar?

Ser usually presents an identity or characteristic, while estar often gives a location or a current state.

How does ser express time?

Forms such as es and son give the time or date: son las tres.

Can ser form a passive sentence?

Yes. A form of ser plus a past participle can present an action as passive.

What are some irregular forms of ser?

The forms include soy, eres, es, fui and sido.

Can ser be a noun?

Yes. Un ser is a being or creature, while el ser can mean existence itself.

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