To be (what something is) in Spanish
To be (what something is) in Spanish is ser (SEHR).
- Spanish
- ser
- Say it
- SEHR
- Present tense
- soy · eres · es (yo · tú · él / ella)
- Conjugation
- See all five tenses and practise
- Note
- For who or what something is: soy profesor.
One of 77 verbs in Common Spanish Verbs: learn them step by step and practise them all.
The most common Spanish verbs
The other words in step 1 of Common Spanish Verbs.
- estarto be (how or where) · ehs-TAR
- tenerto have · teh-NEHR
- haberto have (helper verb) · ah-BEHR
- hacerto do, to make · ah-SEHR
- irto go · EER
- podercan, to be able to · poh-DEHR
- decirto say · deh-SEER
- quererto want · keh-REHR
- saberto know (facts) · sah-BEHR
- conocerto know (people, places) · koh-noh-SEHR
- darto give · DAR
- verto see · BEHR
- venirto come · beh-NEER
- ponerto put · poh-NEHR
Questions about ser
How do you say to be (what something is) in Spanish?
To be (what something is) in Spanish is ser. For who or what something is: soy profesor.
How do you pronounce ser?
Say it SEHR. The syllable in capitals is stressed: SEHR. This guide follows Latin American Spanish.
How do you conjugate ser in the present tense?
For yo, tú and él / ella: soy, eres, es.
What does ser mean in English?
In English, ser means to be (what something is).
Keep learning Spanish
Common Spanish Verbs
77 everyday verbs from ser and estar to buscar and encontrar, with the present tense and practice for every verb.
Common Spanish Adjectives
72 everyday adjectives for people, feelings and things, how they change, and practice that tracks every word.
Common Spanish Adverbs
55 everyday adverbs for time, frequency, place, amount and manner, with practice for every word.
Spanish words A–Z
Every word with its own page: how to say it, hear it and practise it.
Updated · Pronunciation guides use Latin American Spanish.