Year 9 - Spanish
A trip to Asturias: 'ser' and 'estar' 1st and 3rd person
Weekends: 'ser', 'estar', 'ir' and 'hacer'
Study Hub
Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit revisits 'ser' versus 'estar', regular and irregular comparative adjectives, adjective-noun number and gender agreement, forming the present continuous, reflexive pronouns, personal 'a', direct and indirect object pronouns, and gustar-type verbs.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to use the 1st and 3rd person forms of 'ser' and 'estar', as well as comparative structures, to describe a trip to Asturias.
Key Notes
- In Spanish there are two verbs for 'to be'. Use 'estar' for location, state or mood and 'ser' for permanent traits.
- Some adjectives can only be used with 'estar' because they only describe a state, not a permanent trait.
- The 1st person singular of 'estar' is 'estoy' and the plural is 'estamos'; for 'ser', it is 'soy' and 'somos'.
- The 3rd person singular of 'estar' is 'está', and the plural is 'están'; for 'ser', it is 'es' and 'son'.
- To say 'more … than' in Spanish, use 'más' + adjective + 'que'; to say 'less … than', use 'menos' + adjective + 'que'.
Vocabulary To Learn
- ser: verb 'to be, being' used to describe permanent traits
- estar: verb 'to be, being' used to describe temporary state/mood and location
- comparative: form of an adjective or adverb used to used to compare people, things or ideas
- que: conjunction used in comparative structures meaning 'than'
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- It doesn't matter which Spanish translation of the verb 'to be' we use, as they both mean 'to be, being'.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
In Spanish there are two verbs for 'to be'. Use 'estar' for location, state or mood and 'ser' for permanent traits. Some adjectives can only be used with 'estar' because they only describe a state, not a permanent trait.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'ser'
verb 'to be, being' used to describe permanent traits. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: It doesn't matter which Spanish translation of the verb 'to be' we use, as they both mean 'to be, being'. Correction: The verb 'ser' is for permanent traits, and the verb 'estar' is for temporary states/moods and location. It sounds as odd to a Spanish person if we use the wrong verb 'to be' as it does when someone says 'I make sport' or 'I do a cake' in English.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 9 Spanish guide library.