Do you know how to say the verb "to be" in Spanish? The answer to that question has two options: ser and estar. In fact, mastering the verbs ser and estar is one of the first challenges you need to tackle when learning Spanish. In order to help you out with this challenge, we're going to share a very simple trick with you. Hopefully, it will help you remember when to use ser and estar.

banner5 PLACEHOLDER  

Two words for learning the difference between ser and estar

The trick is very simple. All you need to remember are these two words: DOCTOR and PLACE. Use the former for the verb ser and the latter for the verb estar.

DOCTOR for ser

The word DOCTOR stands for the following: 

Description

Occupation

Characteristic

Time

Origin

Relationship.

Let's see some examples using the third person singular of ser in the present tense:

Description

"El coronavirus es un virus contagioso".

"The coronavirus is a contagious virus."

Caption 27, El coronavirus - Introducción y vocabulario

 Play Caption

Occupation

Tu papá es jefe de cartera, mi amor.

Your dad is a portfolio manager, my love.

Caption 52, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 3

 Play Caption

Characteristic

Él es un chico... Es muy simpático.

He's a guy... He's very nice.

Caption 52, Clase Aula Azul - Información con subjuntivo e indicativo

 Play Caption

Time

Diremos, "¿Qué hora es?"

We'll say, "What time is it?"

Caption 49, Español para principiantes - La hora

 Play Caption

Origin

Mi... mi madre es libanesa, mi padre de España.

My... my mother is Lebanese, my father [is] from Spain.

Caption 67, Eljuri - Hablamos Con La Artista Sobre Su Nuevo Álbum

 Play Caption

Relationship

Esa es mi tía Silvia.

That is my Aunt Silvia.

Caption 24, Español para principiantes - Demostrativos

 Play Caption

banner3 PLACEHOLDER

PLACE for estar

The word PLACE stands for the following:

Position

Location

Action

Condition

Emotion

Let's see some examples using the first person singular of estar in the present tense:

Position

Ahora, estoy en el centro.

Now, I'm in the center.

Caption 25, Raquel - Las direcciones

 Play Caption

Location

Ahora estoy en el Monumento Natural Dunas de Artola,

Now I'm at the Dunas of Artola [Artola Dunes] Natural Monument,

en la Playa de Cabopino.

on Cabopino Beach.

Captions 31-32, Viajando con Fermín - Dunas de Marbella

 Play Caption

Action

Silvia, ¿qué estás haciendo?

Silvia, what are you doing?

Estoy bebiendo un vaso de agua.

I'm drinking a glass of water.

Captions 25-26, El Aula Azul - Actividades diarias: En casa con Silvia

 Play Caption

Condition

Ay... ¿Y puedes llamar a mi trabajo y decir que estoy enferma?

Oh... And can you call my work and say I'm sick?

Caption 4, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 2: Sam va de compras

 Play Caption

Emotion

Estoy triste.

I am sad.

Estoy triste.

I am sad.

Captions 9-10, El Aula Azul - Estados de ánimo

 Play Caption

Finally, we want to leave you with a little rhyme that will help you to choose the appropriate verb between ser and estar. This little rhyme, which is quite handy for the verb estar, goes like this:

For how you feel and where you are,

always use the verb ESTAR. 

In other words, keep in mind that when talking about emotions and location you should always use the verb estar.

That's it for today. We hope this little trick helps you to understand the difference between ser and estar, a little bit better. And don't forget to send us your comments and suggestions.

banner2 PLACEHOLDER

Do you know how to say "yellow" or "purple" in Spanish? Get ready to learn how to write and say the names of the colors in Spanish.

The primary colors in Spanish

Let's take a look at this list of the primary colors in Spanish.

Amarillo (Yellow)

Azul (Blue)

Rojo (Red)

BANNER PLACEHOLDER

Spanish colors in alphabetical order

Even though there are millions of colors out there, most of the time we use only a limited number of colors in our daily life. The following list features the names of the most frequently used colors in Spanish and English.

- amarillo (yellow)

- anaranjado or naranja (orange)

- añil or índigo (indigo)

- azul (blue)

- blanco (white)

- dorado (golden)

- escarlata (scarlet)

- fucsia (fuchsia)

- gris (gray)

- marrón or café (brown)

- morado (purple)

- negro (black)

- plateado (silver)

- rojo (red)

- rosa or rosado (pink)

- violeta (violet)

The pronunciation of the most important colors in Spanish

Now, it's time to learn how to say the colors in Spanish.

How do you say "yellow" in Spanish?

amarillo

Recorta un cuadro de papel amarillo de cinco centímetros.

Cut out a five centimeter yellow square from yellow paper.

Caption 70, Manos a la obra - Separadores de libros: Charmander

 Play Caption

How do you say the color "orange" in Spanish?

anaranjado or naranja

Adentro, son de color anaranjado.

Inside, they are orange-colored.

Caption 13, Otavalo - Conozcamos el Mundo de las Frutas con Julia

 Play Caption

By the way, do you know how to say "orange" (the fruit) in Spanish? The answer is "naranja"!

How do you say "blue" in Spanish?

azul

Ay, me encanta tu camiseta azul.

Oh, I love your blue shirt.

Caption 3, Español para principiantes - Los colores

 Play Caption

How do you say "white" in Spanish?

blanco

Mi perro pequeño es blanco.

My small dog is white.

Caption 52, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 2: Cafe y bocadillos

 Play Caption

How do you say "black" in Spanish?

negro

...y el negro, donde se tira lo orgánico.

...and the black one, where the organic [waste] is thrown away.

Caption 7, Rosa - Reciclar

 Play Caption

How do you say "green" in Spanish?

verde

El verde, donde va el vidrio.

The green one, where the glass goes.

Caption 5, Rosa - Reciclar

 Play Caption

How do you say "brown" in Spanish?

marrón

Mi cocina es de madera de color marrón.

My kitchen is (made) of brown-colored wood.

Caption 23, Ariana - Mi Casa

 Play Caption

Keep in mind that some people prefer to use to word "café" instead of "marrón" when referring to the color "brown."

How do you say "purple" in Spanish?

morado

Predominan los colores verde, morado.

The colors green, purple, predominate.

Caption 46, Viajando con Fermín - Dunas de Marbella

 Play Caption

It is also quite common to use the adjective "púrpura" when talking about the color purple.

How do you say "red" in Spanish?

rojo

El rojo carmesí, que es un rojo frío.

The Crimson Red, which is a cool red.

Caption 30, Leonardo Rodriguez Sirtori - Una vida como pintor

 Play Caption

The colors of the rainbow in Spanish 

Let's finish this lesson with a little quiz. Can you provide the English word for each one of the seven colors of the rainbow in Spanish? Try it out!

1. rojo = ???

2. naranja or anaranjado = ??? 

3. amarillo = ???

4. verde = ???

5. azul = ???

6. añil = ???

7. violeta = ???

Did you get them all? If you didn't, you can always go back and check out the list we provided at the beginning of this lesson with the Spanish colors in alphabetical order.

That's it for today. We hope you enjoyed this lesson and don't forget to send us your comments and suggestions.