⇒ While both ser and estar can translate to to be in English, they aren't interchangeable in Spanish.
⇒ If this general rule is too vague for you, think of the acronym DOT. Ser is used for:
⇒ In these notes we'll take a look at the O in DOT: Origins.
⇒ Ser is used to describe the place a person is from or the material something is made from.
⇒ You can use ser to answer the questions Where is this from? and What is this made of?.
⇒ In other words, ser is used to describe the essential origin of a person or thing. This can be either a place origin or a material origin.
⇒ In these cases, ser is used to talk about where a person or thing is from.
⇒ It can refer to where a person was born or raised or where an item was made.
⇒ To describe place origin, use the formula ser + de + location.
| Celia es de España.Celia is from Spain. |
| Patricia es de México.Patricia is from Mexico. |
| Estos quesos son de Francia.Those cheeses are from France. |
| Su vestido es de Italia.Her dress is from Italy. |
⇒ In these cases, ser is used to describe what something is made of
⇒ You can use the formula ser + de + material to talk about this sort of material origin.
| Las sillas son de madera.The chairs are made from wood. |
| Mi anillo es de oro.My ring is made from gold. |