In order to effectively communicate in conversational Spanish, you must know how to conjugate ser, the Spanish verb. It is especially important that you know when to use "ser" and when to use "estar," considering that both verbs mean the English verb to be.

Look at this conjugation chart using the verb "ser":

(Yo) soy
(Tú) eres
(El, ella, usted) es
(Nosotros, nosotras) somos
(Ellos, ellas, ustedes) son
Look examine this conjugation chart using the verb "estar":
(Yo) estoy
(Tú) estás
(El, ella, usted) está
(Nosotros, nosotras) estamos
(Ellos, ellas, ustedes) están

There are at least two things that these verbs have in common. Besides being action words that you will need to know in order to communication with native Spanish speakers in normal every day conversation, both words are irregular in certain tenses.

Ser can be used when describing a situation that is permanent or lasting. On the other hand, we use estar when talking about situations that tend to be more temporary and when discussing location. To be more specific, we use "ser" for discussing or describing the following:

• Identity of a noun
• One's occupation
• Time of day
• Inherent qualities
• Physical characteristics
• Family relationships
• Places and dates of events
• Quantity and price

Now that we have learned when to use ser, let's take a look at some examples phrases on how to conjugate ser in the Spanish language:

Soy americano.
I am American.

Tu eres dentista.
You are a dentist.

Carolina es colombiana.
Carolina is Colombian.

Somos hermanos.
We are brothers.

Son las dos.
It is 2:00.

Las playas son divinas.
The beaches are divine.

Tatiana es linda.
Tatiana is pretty.

Alejandra Legarda is a free lance Spanish instructor. She is also a contributor to the Learning Spanish Like Crazy course and the Verbarrator Spanish verb conjugation software. If you want to test-drive a free demo copy of the Verbarrator and learn how to conjugate Spanish verbs as easy as uno, dos, tres then go here now: www.Verbarrator.com.