The following table shows the conjugations of the verb Estar in the present tense.

Yo (I) - estoy

Tú (familiar you) - estas

Usted., él, ella (polite you, he, she) - esta

Nosotros/as (we) - estamos

Vosotros/as (familiar you) - estais (* Only in Spain, Not in South America)

Uds, ellos, ellas (you, them) - estan

When do we use the verb Estar?

We can generalize and say that Estar is used to when we speak about a “condition” and Ser is used when we speak about an essential/permanent quality.

Here are some rules of thumbs:
1. Estar is used to experess geographic or physical locations
For example:
Donde Estas (Where are you?)
Estoy en el Costa Rica ahora (I’m in Costa Rica now)
Donde Esta Australia (Where is Australia)
* Note that if we speak about where an event is going to take place, we should use SER instead.
*

2. Estar is used when we went to express a state, condition or a result of an action.
Estoy cansado (I’m tried)
Como Esta la Carne? (How is the steak?)
Como Estas (How are you?)
Estoy Muy Bien (I’m very good)
Ellos estan tristes ahora (They are sad right now)

3. Estar is used with the progressive tenses (to indicate that it happens at this moment)
Que estas comiendo? (What are you eating?)
Estoy comiendo arroz (I’m eating rice)

4. Estar is used with some idiomatic expressions
Estar en camin (to be on the way)

1 Bad / Very bad / OK - Mal / Muy mal / Más o menos   (mahl / moy mahl / mahs oh may-nohs  )

2 Bless you! - ¡Salud! (sah-lood)

3 Can you help me? - ¿Puede ayudarme? (pweh-deh ah-yoo-dar-meh)

4 Congratulations! - ¡Felicitaciones! (feh-lee-see-tah-see-oh-nehs)

5 Do you speak English? (informal) - ¿Hablas ingles? (ah-blahs een-glehs)

6 Do you speak Spanish? (formal) - ¿Habla usted español? (ah-blah oo-sted eh-spahn-yol)

7 Do you understand? (formal / informal) - ¿Entiende usted? / ¿Entiendes? (ehn-tyen-deh oo-sted / ehn-tyen-dehs)

8 Don’t worry - No se preocupe. (noh seh preh-oh-koo-peh)

9 Excuse me / Pardon - Con permiso/ Perdón (kohn pehr-mee-soh / pehr-dohn)

10 Good / Very good - Bien / Muy bien   (bee-ehn / moy bee-ehn )

11 Good afternoon! - ¡Buenas tardes!   (bway-nahs tard-ays  )

12 Good bye. - Adiós.   (ah-dee-ohs  )

13 Good evening! / Good night! - ¡Buenas noches!   (bway-nahs noh-chays  )

14 Good luck! - ¡Buena suerte! (bweh-nah swehr-teh)

15 Hello! / Good morning! - ¡Buenos días!   (bway-nohs dee-ahs  )

16 Here. - Aquí (ah-kee)

17 Hi! / Bye! - ¡Hola! /¡Chao! (oh-lah / chow)

18 How are you? (formal) - ¿Cómo está usted?   (koh-moh ay-stah oo-sted  )

19 How are you? (informal) - ¿Cómo estás?   (koh-moh ay-stahs )

20 How do you say ____ in Spanish? - Cómo se dice ____ en español? (koh-moh seh dee-ceh ___ on eh-spahn-yol)

21 How old are you? (formal) - ¿Cuántos años tiene usted?   (quahn-tohs ahn-yohs tee-ay-nay oo-sted )

22 How old are you? (informal) - ¿Cuántos años tienes?   (quahn-tohs ahn-yohs tee-ayn-ays )

23 How’s it going? - ¿Qué tal?   (kay tahl )

24 I (don’t) know. - Yo (no lo) se. (yoh noh loh seh)

25 I (don’t) speak… - (No) Hablo… (noh ah-bloh)

26 I (don’t) understand. - (No) Entiendo. (noh ehn-tyen-doh)

27 I am _____ years old. - Yo tengo _____ años.   (yoh tayn-goh _____ ahn-yohs )

28 I don’t care. - No me importa. (noh meh eem-por-tah)

29 I forgot. - Me olvidé. (meh ohl-vee-deh)

30 I have no idea. - No tengo ninguna idea. (noh tehn-goh neen-goo-nah ee-deh-ah)

31 I love you. (informal and singular) - Te amo.   (tay ah-moh )

32 I must go now. - Tengo que ir ahora. (tehn-goh keh eer ah-oh-rah)

33 I’m bored. - Estoy aburrido. (eh-stoy ah-boo-ree-doh)

34 I’m from… - Yo soy de…   (yoh soy day  )

35 I’m hot / cold. - Tengo calor / frío. (tehn-goh kah-lohr / free-oh)

36 I’m hungry / thirsty. - Tengo hambre / sed. (tehn-goh ahm-breh / sed)

37 I’m sorry - Lo siento (loh see-ehn-toh)

38 I’m tired / sick. - Estoy cansado / enfermo. (eh-stoy kahn-sah-doh / ehn-fehr-moh)

39 It doesn’t matter. - No importa. (noh eem-por-tah)

40 It’s your turn. (informal) - Te toca a ti. (teh toh-kah ah tee)

41 Let’s go! - ¡Vamos! (bah-mohs)

42 Mister / Mrs. / Miss - Señor / Señora / Señorita   (sayn-yor / sayn-yor-ah / sayn-yor-ee-tah  )

43 My name is… - Me llamo…   (may yah-moh  )

44 Nice to meet you. - Mucho gusto. /Encantado. (moo-choh goo-stoh / en-cahn-tah-doh)

45 Of course - Claro que sí (klah-roh keh see)

46 Please. - Por favor.   (por fah-bor  )

47 Same here. - Igualmente. (ee-guahl-mehn-tay )

48 See you / See you later. - Hasta la vista / Hasta luego.   (ah-stah lah vees-tah / ah-stah loo-ay-go )

49 See you soon. - Hasta pronto.   (ah-stah prohn-toh  )

50 See you tomorrow. - Hasta mañana.   (ah-stah mahn-yahn-ah  )

51 Shut up! - ¡Callate! (kah-yah-teh)

52 Thank you (very much). - (Muchas) Gracias.   ((moo-chahs) grah-see-ahs )

53 That’s alright. - Está bien. (ehs-tah bee-ehn)

54 There is / are… / There was / were… - Hay / Había… (eye / ah-bee-ah)

55 Welcome - Bienvenidos (byen-veh-nee-dohs)

56 What is that? - Qué es esto? (keh ehs ehs-toh)

57 What is your name? (formal) - ¿Cómo se llama usted?   (koh-moh say yah-mah oo-sted  )

58 What is your name? (informal) - ¿Cómo te llamas?   (koh-moh tay yah-mahs  )

59 What? Pardon me? - ¿Cómo? (koh-moh)

60 What’s happening? - Qué pasa? (keh pah-sah)

61 What’s the matter (with you)? - ¿Qué te pasa? (keh teh pah-sah)

62 Where are you from? (formal) - ¿De dónde es usted?   (day dohn-day ehs oo-sted  )

63 Where are you from? (informal) - ¿De dónde eres?   (day dohn-day eh-rehs )

64 Where is … / Where are … ? - ¿Dónde está / Dónde están…  (dohn-deh eh-stah / dohn-deh eh-stahn)

65 Yes / No - Sí / No (see / noh)

66 You’re welcome. - De nada. (day nah-dah)

vale - (OK)
¡qué bien! (how good!)
¡buena suerte! (good luck!)

Gracias (Thanks)
Mucho Gracias (Thank you very much)
Gracias Por todo (Thanks for everything)
Si Gracias (Yes, Thanks)
No Gracias (No, Thanks)

Perdon (Sorry)
Disculpe (Sorry)
Permiso (Permission) (When you want to move someone)

Felicidades (Congratulations)
Salud (health = Cheers)
Feliz Ano Nuevo (Happy New Year)
Feliz Navidad (Merry Christmas)
Feliz Cumpleanos (Happy Birthday)

Puede repetir (Can you repeat)
Perdon por el retraso (Sorry for the delay)

Es Muy Amamble (very kind of you)
De nada (For nothing = you welcome)
No hay de que (For noting)

Chau - (bye)
Nos Vemos (we’ll see each other)
Adios - (Bye - Formal)

hasta mañana (Until tomorrow = See you tomorrow)
hasta el lunes (Until Monday - See you on Monday)
hasta la semana que viene - (Until the week that comes - See you on the week)
hasta el fin de semana que viene (Until the coming weekend - See weekend)

Hasta Pronto (Until soon = See you soon)
¡hasta la vista! (see you soon!)
Hasta la proxima (See you next time)
Hasta luego (See you then/later)

¡buenos días! (Good day! Good morning!)
¡buenas noches! (Good night)
¡buenas tardes! (Good Afternoon)

Como esta usted? (How are you? - Formal)
Como estas? (How are you? - Informal)
Como Andas? (how’s it going)
Que Tal? -(What’s up)

We use the verb SER in the following situations (In other situations we might use ESTAR which we learn in a different lesson):

1.- When we want to describe a person or an object in terms of appearance, character, size, colour, material (What things are made of):
Por ejemplo (For example):
Mi casa es grande y amarilla (My house is big and yellow)
Mi padre es importante (My father is important)
La mesa es de madera (The table is made of wood)
Mi Madre es alto (My Mother is tall)

2.- When we want to speak about the nationality, origin, or profession of a person.
Ellos son Australianos (They are Australians)
Marco es profesora (Marco is a teacher)
Son Italianos (They are from Italy)

3.- When we want to express possession or evaluate something:
¿Este es tu colectivo? (Is this your bus?)
Estos Colectivos son incómodos (These buses are uncomfortable)
Es Mi libro (It is my book)

4. Things which “Take Place” or “Occur”: Dates, days, seasons, time, events, concerts, parties, etc
Hoy es Lines (Today is Monday)
Es el en 20 de Octubre (It is 20th of October)
La fiesta es en casa de Marco (The Party is in Marco’s house)
Son las dos (Its two o’clock)

5. With “Cuanto/ Cuantos” -
Quanto es? (How much is it?)
Es 50 pesos (It is 50 Pesos)

The following table shows the conjugations of the verb ser in the present tense.

Yo (I) - Soy

Tú (familiar you) - eres

Usted., él, ella (polite you, he, she) - es

Nosotros/as (we) - somos

Vosotros/as (familiar you) - sois (* Only in Spain, Not in South America)

Uds, ellos, ellas (you, them) - son

Notes:
1. You usually don’t need to include a subject at all. In Spanish you can simply say the verb:
Por ejemplo (For example):
- Soy de Australia
- Somos de Nueva Zelanda.

2. The word “de” is commonly used with the verb ser. It means “of” when used to indicate possession and “from” when used to indicate origin.
Por ejemplo (For example):
- ¿De dónde es Marco? (Where does Edward come from?, Literally: From where is Edward?)
- Marco es de España (Marco is from Spain)

3. Unlike English, Spanish does not use the indefinite article “a” or “an” (In Spanish: un ,una) after ser when referring to professions, unless accompanied by an adjective or a description.

1. De Donde eres? (Where are you form?)
- (Yo) Soy de Australia (I am from Australia)
- (Yo) Soy Australiano (I am Australian - Male)
* You don’t have to say the “Yo”

2. De Donde es? - (Where is he from?)
(El) es de Melbourne - He is from Melbourne

3. De Donde son? - Where are they from?
(Nosotros) somos de Sydney - We Are from Sydney

Identity (In Spanish: “Identidad”)

1. Quien es? (Who is he?)
(Es) Marco (He is Marco)

2. Come te llamas? (What is your name)
Soy Marco (I am Marco)

3. Come se llama? (What is her/his name?)
Es el Senor Marco (He is Mr. Marco)

Profession (In Spanish: “Profesion”)

1. Que Hace? (What does he do) (e.g his job)
El es profesor (He is a teacher)

2. Que Haces? (What do you do)
Soy Profesor (I am a teacher)

3. Que Hacen?
(Ellos) son dentistas (They are dentists)

Letter | Name | Examples

A A Amor(love), Agua(Water)

B Be Bebida(beverage), Boca(Mouth)

C Ce Cerveza(beer), Corazon (Heart)

Ch Che Chile(Chile), Choclo(Corn)

D De Día(day), Dedo (Finger)

E E España(Spain),Elefante (Elephant)

F Efe Frío(cold) Fruta (Fruit)

G Ge Gato (Cat), Gordo (Fat)

H Hache Hermano(brother), Helado (Ice-cream)

I I Isla(island)

J Jota Jamás(never), Jamon (Ham)

K Ka Kilo(kilo), Kilometro (Kilometer)

L Ele Libre(free), Libro (Book)

LL Elle Llegar (to arrive)

M Eme Morir(to die), Mono (Money)

N Ene Noche(night), naranja (Orange)

Ñ Eñe Ñoquis(gnocchi)

O O Ola(wave), Ojo (Eye)

P Pe Panza(belly), Perro (Dog)

Q Cu Queso(cheese)

R Erre Ropa(clothes), Rojo (Red)

S Ese Sentido(sense), Silla (Chair)

T Te Té (tea), Telefono (telephone)

U U Uno(one), Uva (Grape)

V Ve Volver(to come back), Voca (Cow)

W Ve doble Whisky(whisky)

X Equis Xilofon (Xylophone)

Y I griega Yerno(son-in-law)

Z Zeta Zapato (shoe), Zorro (Fox)

Basic Rules of Accentuation

1. For words ending in a consonant other than n or s stress falls on the last syllable.
2. Words ending in a vowel, or n or s, the next to last syllable is stressed.
3. If the word has an accent mark, then that syllable is stressed, ignoring the rules above.

Spanish Consonants

1. B and V - In Spanish, the b and the v are phonetically identical. At the beginning of a breath-group (or after m or n) the sound is that of a weakly pronounced English b (for example: bien, verde) In other places, particularly between vowels.
2. C has two Pronunciations: C before e and i, and z in all positions, are pronounced like the English hissed s in sent in. C before all other letters, k and qu are like English c in cat. (For example: casa)
3. ch is pronounced like English ch in church: mucho leche chocolate.
4. G before e and i, and j in all positions, have no English equivalent. They are pronounced approximately like a strongly exaggerated h in halt (For example: gente hijo Jorge región)
g in other positions and gu before e and i are pronounced like a weak English g (For example: gracias guitarra)
5. h is always silent: hablar hasta hoy.
6. ll is pronounced like y in yes in most of Spanish America and in some sections of Spain (For example: Calle sounds like Ca-ye). in Argentina it sounds like the “Sh” in English. (For example: calle is sounds like Ca-she”.
7. ñ is somewhat like the English “ny” in canyon. (For example: señor mañana español)
8. Q (always written with u) and it sounds like English K.
9. R and rr represent two different sounds. Single r, except at the beginning of a word, or after l, n, or s, is pronounced the same as in English with a single tap produced by the tip of the tongue against the gums of the upper teeth. In other cases it is rolled as for RR.
10 . Z is pronounced as an S.

Spanish Vowels
A = pronounced like the “A” in the word father
E = pronounced like the “E” in the word café
I = pronounced like the “I” in the word machine
O = pronounced as a short and very pure “O” (in the front of the mouth), as in the “word” obey.
U = pronounced similarly to the “OO” in the word cool, but is more pure and sharp.
[Y = pronounced the same as the Spanish I]

Lastly, if you want to practice speaking Spanish like a Spanish pro, try to use the front of your tongue when saying Spanish words. (English speakers use the back of their mouth all the time to pronounce words)