# 05. The Verb “Ser”

- **Time range:** 00:18:54 – 00:23:19  (duration 00:04:25)
- **Source:** [A Complete Guide To Every Fundamental In Spanish (The Conclusion)](https://youtube.com/watch?v=YHDZSHCt1DE&t=1134s)

---
**[00:18:54]** verb ser in Spanish means to be as in being or existing and it syntax looks

> **[on-screen 00:18:58]**
> to be/exist I am We are You are | Y'all are He is They are

**[00:18:58]** like this in English I am you are he or she it is we are yall are English doesn't have this pronoun but I'm still including it because Spanish has it and they are part of the reason why English is an easy language is because the conjugation of these verbs stays the same for most pronouns R is the same for

> **[on-screen 00:19:13]**
> to be/exist I am We are You are Y'all are He is They are

**[00:19:14]** we they and you but they change for I and he in Spanish however you have six

> **[on-screen 00:19:18]**
> ser - to be/exist (Yo) soy | (Nosotros) somos (El) es (Ellos) son

**[00:19:19]** different conjugations for each pronoun and actually the verb ser is an irregular verb meaning that you cannot conjugate it like regular verbs and its syntax completely changes in every pronoun it looks like this in I can give is to just memorize these conjugations because there is no conjugation pattern to follow with them but also try not focusing on these

> **[on-screen 00:19:44]**
> ser - to be/exist (Yo) soy (Nosotros) Somos iNeres | ose Vosotros) sois (Tu) eres | ( m ) (El) es | (Ellos) sc

**[00:19:44]** pronouns because they're not used as often as the other ones in conversation however s is not used the same as it's

> **[on-screen 00:19:48]**
> The verb ser is NOT used the same as in English

**[00:19:49]** used in English you might have heard

> **[on-screen 00:19:51]**
> How teachers teach ser: e Who are you and from where, always use the verb ser e Permanent traits about oneself

**[00:19:51]** teachers use nursery rhymes to describe this verb saying who are you and from where always use the verb ser or some teachers might also say that the verb ser is applied for permanent traits about oneself I however don't like these

> **[on-screen 00:20:02]**
> How teachers teach ser: e Wiie-are you and from-where, e Permanen ae, eabout oneself

**[00:20:02]** explanations whatsoever because they tend to confuse students rather than make them understand the subject matter properly so this is going to be an easier explanation of what to do with the verb ser the verb ser mainly applies to

> **[on-screen 00:20:11]**
> What ser applies to: 1. Name, nationality, birthplace 2. Occupation 3. Physical traits (about oneself) 4. Generalizations 5. When and where are events 6. Time and date

**[00:20:12]** these uses your name nationality and place of origin occupation physical traits generalizations when and where are events taking place and time and date number one your name nationality

> **[on-screen 00:20:21]**
> 1. Name, nationality, birthplace:

**[00:20:22]** and place of origin if you want to say your name in Spanish you will say yoy

> **[on-screen 00:20:26]**
> 1. Name, nationality, birthplace: Yo soy Alex

**[00:20:26]** and then your name if you want to say your Spanish and you are from Spain you

> **[on-screen 00:20:30]**
> 1. Name, nationality, birthplace: Yo soy Alex Yo soy espanol Yo soy de Espana

**[00:20:31]** say the conjugation so is used here because you're talking about yourself and the same principle applies to the rest of the pronouns based on whichever conjugation you want to work with number two occupation if you want to say that

> **[on-screen 00:20:40]**
> 2. Occupation: He is a professor

**[00:20:41]** he is a professor you would say LS

> **[on-screen 00:20:43]**
> 2. Occupation: He is a professor El es profesor

**[00:20:44]** Professor also you don't have to put an

> **[on-screen 00:20:45]**
> 2. Occupation: He is a professor El es tif profesor

**[00:20:46]** indefinite article like un before Professor because it's a rule in Spanish

> **[on-screen 00:20:50]**
> 2. Occupation: He is a professor El es profesor

**[00:20:50]** so you would just say LS Professor he is a professor the same principle applies to the rest of the conjugations and whichever occupation you decide to say

> **[on-screen 00:20:57]**
> 3. Physical traits You are beautiful

**[00:20:57]** number three physical iCal traits if you want to say you are beautiful you will say toes Bonito or Bonita depending on

> **[on-screen 00:21:01]**
> 3. Physical traits You are beautiful Tu eres bonito/a

**[00:21:03]** the person and the reason you use said is because it's a trait that applies to the person all the time by saying you are beautiful to Edis Bonito you're saying that the person is beautiful always he was born beautiful he's beautiful now and he will die beautiful number four generalizations if you want

> **[on-screen 00:21:16]**
> 4. Generalizations It is important to work

**[00:21:17]** to say it is important to work you would

> **[on-screen 00:21:20]**
> 4. Generalizations It is important to work Es importante trabajar

**[00:21:20]** say in Spanish there is no notion of starting a sentence with the word it so you'll immediately start it with is s important number five when and where are

> **[on-screen 00:21:28]**
> 5. When and where are events The party is in the club

**[00:21:29]** events taking place if you want to say the party is in the club you would say

> **[on-screen 00:21:32]**
> 5. When and where are events The party is in the club La fiesta es en el club

**[00:21:32]** La Festa is in club similarly you can

> **[on-screen 00:21:34]**
> 5. When and where are events The party is at six La fiesta es a las seis

**[00:21:35]** say the party is at six which would be La Festa is the rule here is to always include alas if the number is plural or

> **[on-screen 00:21:41]**
> 5. When and where are events The party is at six La fiesta es a las seis

**[00:21:42]** more than one and speaking of time it's the last most important use of the verb ser time and date you can say a simple sentence like it's Friday which would be

> **[on-screen 00:21:48]**
> 6. Time and dates It's Friday Es viernes

**[00:21:49]** a generalization and time and it would be svetness however when you start to speak of time as in a clock this is where the syntax gets slightly tricky if

> **[on-screen 00:21:57]**
> 6. Time and dates It's one PM Es launa de la tarde

**[00:21:57]** you want to say it's 1 p.m. the sentence would be de it begins with s but throws

> **[on-screen 00:22:01]**
> 6. Time and dates It's one PM Es la una de la tarde

**[00:22:02]** the definite article LA because it uses una as a feminine number so it's the one

> **[on-screen 00:22:06]**
> 6. Time and dates It's one PM Es la una de la tarde It’s the one in/of the afternoon

**[00:22:07]** in the afternoon or of the afternoon make sure that you include the article LA but primarily focus on the S because when you include numbers that are more

> **[on-screen 00:22:13]**
> 6. Time and dates It's two PM Son las dos de la tarde

**[00:22:14]** than one the amount of time becomes plural if you want to say it's 2 p.m. you would say because now we have plurality now

> **[on-screen 00:22:20]**
> 6. Time and dates It's two PM 2 or more are ay non-singular numbers Son las dos de la tarde

**[00:22:21]** the sentence is in plural because we have a non- singular digit so instead of saying s for one you would say son for for two and pluralize La for last and then you'd

> **[on-screen 00:22:31]**
> 6. Time and dates It's two PM 2 or more are J non-singular numbers Son las dos de la tarde It's the two in the afternoon

**[00:22:31]** say it's the two in the afternoon the same principle applies to other numbers of time such as or de so these are the

> **[on-screen 00:22:36]**
> 6. Time and dates It's three/four PM Son las tres/cuatro de la tarde

> **[on-screen 00:22:39]**
> What ser applies to: 1. Name, nationality, birthplace 2. Occupation 3. Physical traits (about oneself) 4. Generalizations 5. When and where are events 6. Time and date

**[00:22:39]** uses of the verb in Spanish and as a matter of fact the easiest way to remember them is to always remember that the verb ser applies to factual

> **[on-screen 00:22:46]**
> ser is applied to FACTUAL STATEMENTS

**[00:22:47]** statements about oneself in case you weren't paying close attention everything that I've listed in this video were examples that apply factually about yourself by saying so Alex I'm

> **[on-screen 00:22:54]**
> Soy Alex - Factual Soy bonito - (some would say) Factual Es lunes - Factual Son las dos de la tarde - Factual

**[00:22:56]** factually stating that my name is Alex and I can not change that fact if I say soy Bonito I'm factually stating that I'm a beautiful person in general by saying es Lunes I'm factually stating that it's manday today by saying I'm factually stating that it's 2 in the afternoon right now everything that I've listed in this video were factual statements and now you

> **[on-screen 00:23:13]**
> Soy Alex - Factual Soy bonito - (some would say) Factual Es lunes - Factual Son las dos de la tarde - Factual ser is applied to permanent traits

**[00:23:13]** understand why some teachers in schools say that the verb ser applies to permanent traits because these are all factual statements the present
