The verb ser in Spanish means "is", or "to be" in English. Unlike the verb estar which refers to a temporary state, ser refers to a longer or permanent state. These verbs are irregular so they don't follow the standard grammar rules. To learn how to define ser using different forms of the verb, keep reading this article.
Step
Method 1 of 5: Indicative
Step 1. Define ser in the present indicative form
Use the present indicative form to state facts or circumstances that are currently happening.
- Example: "I am a woman". I am a woman Soy una mujer.
- yo: soy
- tú: eres
- él/ella/usted: es
- nosotros/-as: somos
- vosotros/-as: sois
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: son
Step 2. Learn the preterite indicative forms
Use the preterite indicative form of ser to mention facts or circumstances that have occurred, but have ended or ended.
- Example: "I used to be a rich man". I was rich. Fui Rico.
- yo: fui
- t: fuiste
- él/ella/usted: fue
- nosotros/-as: fuimos
- vosotros/-as: fuisteis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: fueron
Step 3. Use imperfect indicative forms
The imperfect indicative form of ser is used to describe a situation or fact that has not yet ended, implying that the situation may still continue in the present.
- Example: "I was once a poor person". I used to be poor. Yo era pobre.
- yo: era
- tú: eras
- él/ella/usted: era
- nosotros/-as: éramos
- vosotros/-as: erais
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: eran
Step 4. Use the conditional indicative form
The conditional indicative form describes a fact or condition that will certainly occur as long as other conditions are met.
- Example: "I will be rich if I succeed in selling this product". I would be rich if I sold this product. Yo seria rico si vendiera / vendiese este producto.
- yo: seria
- tú: serias
- él/ella/usted: seria
- nosotros/-as: seriamos
- vosotros/-as: seriais
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: serian
Step 5. Learn the future indicative form
The future indicative form is used to describe conditions that will definitely occur in the future.
- Example: "I'm getting married". I will be married. Seré casado.
- yo: seré
- tú: serás
- él/ella/usted: será
- nosotros/-as: seremos
- vosotros/-as: seréis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: serán
Method 2 of 5: Subjunctive
Step 1. Define ser in the present subjunctive form
The present subjunctive form of ser is used to describe a doubtful situation.
- Example: "I doubt he is a rich man". I doubt that she is rich. Dudo que ella sea rica.
- yo: sea
- t: sea
- él/ella/usted: sea
- nosotros/-as: seamos
- vosotros/-as: seáis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: sean
Step 2. Use the imperfect subjunctive
Use the imperfect subjunctive form of ser to describe a past state that is questionable or doubtful.
- There are two tasrifs for each of the six imperfect subjunctive forms.
- Example: "I doubt he was once rich". I doubt that she was rich. Dudo que ella fuera rica.
- yo: fuera OR fuese
- tú: fueras OR fueses
- él/ella/usted: fuera OR fuese
- nosotros/-as: fuéramos OR fuésemos
- vosotros/-as: fuerais OR fueseis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: fueran OR fuesen
Step 3. Define ser in the future subjunctive
The form of the future subjunctive describes a situation that may or may not exist, or is doubtful.
- Example: "I doubt he will marry". I doubt that she will be married. Dudo que ella fuere casada.
- yo: fuere
- t: fueres
- él/ella/usted: fuere
- nosotros/-as: fuéremos
- vosotros/-as: fuereis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: fueren
Method 3 of 5: Imperative
Step 1. Use the affirmative imperative form
Use the affirmative imperative to issue orders about how someone or something should be.
- Note that there is no imperative imperative for the first-person singular "yo", which means "I".
- Example: "Be happy". Be happy. Sé feliz.
- t: sé
- él/ella/usted: sea
- nosotros/-as: seamos
- vosotros/-as: sed
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: sean
Step 2. Understand the negative imperative
Use the negative imperative to issue orders about how someone should be or something shouldn't be.
- Note that there is no imperative imperative for the first person singular "yo", which means "I"
- Example: "Don't be a coward". Don't be a coward. No seas un Cobarde.
- t: no sea
- él/ella/usted: no sea
- nosotros/-as: no seamos
- vosotros/-as: no seáis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: no sean
Method 4 of 5: Perfect
Step 1. Define ser in the present perfect form
The present perfect is used to describe a situation that has occurred and has been completed before the present, without excluding the possibility that it could happen again.
- This tasrific form has an auxiliary verb, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "ser".
- Example: "I am already rich". I have been rich. Hey Sido Rico.
- yo: he sido
- tú: has sido
- él/ella/usted: ha sido
- nosotros/-as: hemos sido
- vosotros/-as: habéis sido
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: han sido
Step 2. Use the preterite perfect form
Use the preterite perfect to describe a situation that happened at a definite time in the past.
- This tasrif form has an auxiliary verb, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "ser".
- Example: "He used to be poor". She had been poor. Habia sido pobre.
- yo: hube sido
- tú: hubiste sido
- él/ella/usted: hubo sido
- nosotros/-as: hubimos sido
- vosotros/-as: hubisteis sido
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: hubieron sido
Step 3. Learn the past perfect form
Use the past perfect to describe a situation that has existed at a definite time in the past.
- This tasrif form has an auxiliary verb, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "ser".
- Example: "I have been poor since childhood". She had been poor during childhood. Había sido pobre durante la infancia.
- yo: había sido
- tú: habías sido
- él/ella/usted: había sido
- nosotros/-as: habíamos sido
- vosotros/-as: habíais sido
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: habían sido
Step 4. Use the conditional perfect form
The conditional perfect form describes a state that would have occurred if certain conditions had been met.
- This tasrif form has an auxiliary verb, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "ser".
- Example: "He would have been alone without his brother". He would have been alone without his brother. l habría sido sola sin su hermano.
- yo: habría sido
- t: habrías sido
- él/ella/usted: habría sido
- nosotros/-as: habríamos sido
- vosotros/-as: habríais sido
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: habrían sido
Step 5. Define the future perfect form
Use the future perfect form of ser when describing a situation that would have occurred.
- This tasrif form has an auxiliary verb, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "ser".
- Example: "She will have married before her son is born". She will have been married before her son is born. Ella habrá sido casada antes de que nazca su hijo.
- yo: habré sido
- t: habrás sido
- él/ella/usted: habrá sido
- nosotros/-as: habremos sido
- vosotros/-as: habréis sido
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: habrán sido
Method 5 of 5: Perfect Subjunctive
Step 1. Know the perfect subjunctive form
Use the perfect subjunctive to describe a condition that is doubtful to have occurred at any time in the past.
- This tasrif form has an auxiliary verb, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "ser".
- Example: "I doubt if he has become a father". I doubt that he has been a father. Dudo que haya sido un padre.
- yo: haya sido
- tú: hayas sido
- él/ella/usted: haya sido
- nosotros/-as: hayamos sido
- vosotros/-as: hayáis sido
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: hayan sido
Step 2. Use the past perfect subjunctive
Use the past perfect subjunctive to describe a doubt or denial that was completed at a definite time in the past.
- This tasrif form has an auxiliary verb, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "ser".
- Example: "I doubt if he has been poor since childhood". I doubt that he had been poor during childhood. Dudo que él hubiera sido pobre durante la infancia.
- yo: hubiera sido
- tú: hubieras sido
- él/ella/usted: hubiera sido
- nosotros/-as: hubiéramos sido
- vosotros/-as: hubierais sido
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: hubieran sido
Step 3. Learn the future perfect subjunctive
Use the future perfect subjunctive when describing a situation that you doubt will have finished.
- This tasrif form has an auxiliary verb, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "ser".
- Example: "I doubt I would have made it without the help of my family". I doubt that I would have been successful without my family's help. Dudo que yo hubiere sido exitoso sin la ayuda de mi familia.
- yo: hubiere sido
- tú: hubieres sido
- él/ella/usted: hubiere sido
- nosotros/-as: hubiéremos sido
- vosotros/-as: hubiereis sido
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: hubieren sido
