SOY v ESTOY
Introduction to Ser and Estar
Spanish listening practice using SOY and ESTOY in short contrasting sentences.
Video clip, Vocabulary, Worksheet + Online Quiz.
Soy is the 1st person of SER in the Present Tense.
Estoy is the 1st person of ESTAR in the Present Tense.
SER + ESTAR both mean TO BE in Spanish, but they are not interchangeable:
SER for Who/What
Use the Verb SER to say who or what you are:
Soy = 1st person of SER
Soy – I am
Soy Billy – I am Billy
Soy un cachorro – I am a puppy
ESTAR for Where
Use the verb ESTAR to say where you are:
Estoy = 1st person of ESTAR
Estoy I am
Estoy en una caja I am in a box
Think of WHAT nationality you are versus WHERE you are, e.g. which country you are in.
Use SOY + Nationality
Soy inglés (inglesa)
– I am English
Soy español (española)
– I am Spanish
Soy argentino (argentina)
– I am Argentine, Argentinian
Soy americano (americana)
– I am American
Use ESTOY + WHERE you are
Estoy en España – I am in Spain
Estoy en los Estados Unidos – I am in the US
Estoy en Inglaterra – I am in England
Estoy en Argentina – I am in Argentina
Vivo en … = I live in …
Estoy de vacaciones en ….
= I am on holiday in …
E.g.
Soy Inglés = I am English
Vivo en Inglaterra = I live in England
Estoy de vacaciones en Argentina
= I am on holiday in Argentina
– – –
Listen and join in with the friendly characters in the video as they say who or what they are followed by where they are.
Eg:
Soy una niña = I am a girl
Estoy en la casa = I am in the house
Vocabulary in the video:
un mono = a monkey
un oso = a bear
un polluelo = a chick
un cachorro = a puppy
un perro = a dog
un amigo = a friend
un jardín = a garden
un cerdo = a pig
un pájaro enojado = an angry bird
una muñeca = a doll
una perra = a female dog
una caja = a box
una niña = a girl
el jardín = the garden
la escalera = the stairs, the staircase
mi mamá = my mum
mis cachorros = my puppies
Video
Translation Practice Worksheet
Online Quiz
This quiz is also available on its own separate page here:
Quiz Test
#1. I am American.
#2. I am in Spain.
#3. I am a girl. I am English.
#4. I am in the garden. I am a pig.
#5. I am a mum. I am with my puppies.
#6. I am a bear. I am in the US.
#7. I am on the sofa. I am a dog.
#8. I am a doll. I am on the stairs.
#9. I am Argentine. I am on holiday in Spain.
#10. I am Spanish. I live in Argentina. I am in Argentina.
Results
¡Muy bien!
Click here for more A Green Mouse SER v ESTAR Resources:
Spanish Verb Practice
(E.g. For question and answer practice in the 3rd person present tense go to:
Ser and Estar: ¿Qué es? ¿Dónde está?
For practice using ‘ESTAR + doing’ go to:
Estar + Doing (Present Continuous))
