To be, or not to be? Let’s start out with one of the most important verbs in Spanish: ser, which means “to be.”
To be, or not to be… Look at the English forms of this verb: I am, you are, he is, she is, we are, they are This verb doesn’t follow an expected pattern; in other words, it’s irregular.
Ser, o no ser… The Spanish verb ser is also irregular. ser = to be yo soy = I am tú eres = you are él es = he is ella es = she is usted es = you are nosotros somos = we are Vosotros sois = You (plural in Spain) are ellos son = they are ustedes son = you (all) are
Atención! Unlike English, Spanish sentences do not always require a subject. Why not? The Spanish verb always gives us enough information about the subject, so we know who we are talking about.
An example, please! Soy de Chicago. Soy is paired up with yo, so we know that the speaker is talking about him/herself.
And in English? English verbs by themselves don’t carry enough information to tell us who the speaker is talking about: “Work in Chicago” is pretty ambiguous!
Trust me on this one! All Spanish verbs change, but fortunately there are predictable patterns. The verb ser just happens to be the most irregular verb in the language. That’s a tough way to start!
So let’s practice! Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to complete the following sentences with the correct for of the verb ser.
La forma correcta de “ser” Yo ______ estudiante.
The envelope, please… Yo soy estudiante.
May I have another, please? Tú _____ estudiante.
The envelope, please! Tú eres estudiante.
I’m still hungry! Mi mamá _____ de México, mi papá ____ de Nicaragua, y yo _____ de Chicago. Nosotros _______ americanos.
Is that your final answer? Mi mamá es de México, mi papá es de Nicaragua, y yo soy de Chicago. Nosotros somos americanos.
To wrap it up… Here are those forms again: yo soy tú eres él es ella es usted es nosotros somos Vosotros sois ellos son ustedes son