The 16 cards in this deck

The two 'to be' verbs and when to use each.

• ser (soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son)Use for what something fundamentally IS: permanent or essential traits — identity, origin, nationality, profession, time/date, and inherent characteristics.Yo soy estudiante. = I am a student.
• ser for identity (who/what someone is)Use ser to state who or what someone is — names, relationships, defining categories.Soy María. = I am María.
• ser for origin and nationality (ser de)Use ser to say where someone or something is FROM — origin and nationality are essential, unchanging facts.Soy de México. = I am from Mexico.
• ser for description / characteristicsUse ser for inherent physical traits and personality — what someone is essentially like.Es alto. = He is tall.
• ser for professionUse ser to state a job or profession (no article needed in Spanish).Es médico. = She/He is a doctor.
• ser for time and dateUse ser to tell the time, day, and date.Son las tres. = It is three o'clock.
• estar (estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están)Use for temporary states and situations: location, feelings, conditions, and ongoing actions (-ando/-iendo).Estoy bien. = I am well/fine.
• estar for location (where something is)Use estar for the physical location or position of people and things (even permanent ones like buildings).Estoy en casa. = I am at home.
• estar for feelings / emotionsUse estar for moods and emotions — how someone feels right now.Estoy cansado. = I am tired.
• estar for conditions / statesUse estar for temporary physical conditions that can change.La sopa está caliente. = The soup is hot.
• estar for ongoing actions (estar + -ando/-iendo)Use estar with the present participle to form the progressive — an action happening right now.Estoy comiendo. = I am eating.
• ser aburrido vs estar aburridoser aburrido = to BE boring (a characteristic); estar aburrido = to BE bored (a temporary feeling). The verb changes the meaning.Es aburrido. = He is boring. / Está aburrido. = He is bored.
• ser listo vs estar listoser listo = to BE clever/smart (a trait); estar listo = to BE ready (a state). Same adjective, different verb, different meaning.Es listo. = He is clever. / Está listo. = He is ready.
• ser rico vs estar ricoser rico = to BE rich/wealthy (essential); estar rico = to BE tasty/delicious (a temporary judgement, often of food).Es rico. = He is rich. / Está rico. = It is delicious.
• Rule of thumb: ser = WHAT, estar = HOW/WHEREAsk yourself: am I saying WHAT something fundamentally is (ser), or HOW it is right now / WHERE it is (estar)?Es guapo (what he is) vs Está guapo hoy (how he looks today). = He is handsome vs He looks handsome today.
• ser for events vs estar for location of thingsEvents use ser (where/when an event takes place); physical objects and people use estar for location. Don't confuse an event with a thing.La fiesta es en mi casa. = The party is at my house. / El libro está en la mesa. = The book is on the table.