Quick answer
ser · soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son
to be (permanent). Irregular — the forms below are worth learning as a block.
Conjugation
| Person | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | soy | fui | era | seré |
| tú | eres | fuiste | eras | serás |
| él / ella / usted | es | fue | era | será |
| nosotros | somos | fuimos | éramos | seremos |
| vosotros | sois | fuisteis | erais | seréis |
| ellos / ustedes | son | fueron | eran | serán |
Orange marks a form you cannot guess from the rules.
| Non-finite | Form |
|---|---|
| gerund | siendo |
| past participle | sido |
| imperative (tú) | sé |
| subjunctive (yo) | sea |
Which form to learn first
soy and es. Your name, your job, your nationality and the time all run through them.
Where you will actually use it
Soy alemán.I am German — nationality never changes, so ser.
Es mi hermano.He is my brother.
Son las tres.It is three o’clock — clock time is always ser.
La sopa es salada.The soup is salty — that is what this soup is like.
¿De dónde eres?Where are you from?
Es para ti.It is for you.
Soy profesor.I am a teacher — no article before the job.
Typical mistakes
Estoy alemán.
Soy alemán.
Nationality, job and character are what you are, not how you are today.
Soy un profesor.
Soy profesor.
Spanish drops the article before an unqualified profession.
Está la una.
Es la una.
Telling the time takes ser, never estar.
Check yourself
___ las ocho y media.