Verb Ser — How Do We Use It?

Let’s express an idea with this verb:

Yo soy Steve Rogers → I am Steve Rogers

So, we already have the first use: expressing names with it.

But Spanish verbs are conjugated, so let’s look at the conjugation of this verb in the present tense.

🟨 Conjugation of “Ser” in the Present Tense

Subject Pronoun	Conjugation	Example in Spanish	English Translation
Yo	soy	Yo soy Steve	I am Steve
Tú	eres	Tú eres Tony	You are Tony
Él / Ella / Usted	es	Ella es Natalia	She is Natalia
Nosotros / Nosotras	somos	Nosotros somos Steve y Natalia	We are Steve and Natalia
Ellos / Ellas	son	Ellos son Natalia y Tony	They are Natalia and Tony
Ustedes	son	Ustedes son Natalia y Tony	You all are Natalia and Tony

❌ Negations

You can negate by adding “no” before the verb:

Ella no es Verónica → She is not Verónica

❓ Yes/No Questions

You can also ask yes/no questions just by changing intonation or using question marks:

¿Ella es Verónica? → Is she Verónica?

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🟨 Common Uses of Ser

We use ser to express identity, origin, profession, relationships, descriptions, and personality traits.

💬 Use	📜 Example Sentence (Spanish)	💬 English Translation
Profession	Tú eres estudiante	You are a student
	Nosotros no somos enfermeros	We are not nurses
	¿Ella es médico?	Is she a doctor?
Nationality / Origin	Tú eres uruguayo	You are Uruguayan
	Ellos son chinos	They are Chinese
	Él es ruso?	Is he Russian?
	Yo soy de Filipinas	I am from the Philippines
Relationship	Ellos son amigos	They are friends
	Ellos no son amigos	They are not friends
	¿Ustedes son amigos?	Are you (plural) friends?
Physical Description	Ella es alta	She is tall
	Ellos no son bajos	They are not short
	¿Tú eres delgado?	Are you slim?
Personality Trait	Él es amable	He is kind
	Ellos no son groseros	They are not rude
	¿Tú eres amable?	Are you kind?

Practice: 5 Example Sentences

✅ Wrap up

Now you know that the verb ser is used to express:

• Identity (name)
• Origin or nationality
• Profession
• Relationships
• Physical descriptions
• Personality traits

Try using ser to describe yourself and the people around you. It’s one of the most important verbs in Spanish, so mastering it early will help you in many conversations!