Ser y tener: the two verbs you need most
Ser and tener carry an enormous amount of everyday Spanish. Learning both fully now saves months of guessing later.
Part of your national curriculum
- Grammar and vocabulary: Use accurate grammar, spelling and punctuation, including gender, agreement and word order as appropriate to the language
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Use accurate grammar, spelling and punctuation, including gender, agreement and word order as appropriate to the language
Key learning points
- • Ser — to be
- • Tener — to have
- • Ser versus estar
This lesson at a glance
- 22 minutes
- 19 parts to scroll through
- 4 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 19
Visual introductionPicture this
Ser y tener: the two verbs you need most
Ser and tener carry an enormous amount of everyday Spanish. Learning both fully now saves months of guessing later.
In a nutshell
Use accurate grammar, spelling and punctuation, including gender, agreement and word order as appropriate to the language
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 19
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · Ser — to be
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 19
Learn
Ser — to be
soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son. Ser is used for permanent-feeling things: identity, nationality, personality, appearance. Soy alta. Mi hermano es divertido. Somos británicos.
Reset break
Part 4 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 19
Learn
Tener — to have
tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tenéis, tienen. Beyond possession, tener carries age, hunger, thirst, cold and fear: tengo hambre, tengo frío, tengo miedo. English uses 'am' for all of these, which is exactly why they are easy to get wrong.
Quick check
Part 6 of 19
Quick check
Part 7 of 19
Reset break
Part 8 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 19
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Ser versus estar
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 19
Learn
Ser versus estar
Estar covers position and temporary states: estoy en casa, estoy cansada. A useful test: if the sentence answers 'what is this, essentially?' use ser; if it answers 'where or how is it right now?' use estar.
Quick check
Part 11 of 19
Reset break
Part 12 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Quick check
Part 13 of 19
Explore the idea
Part 14 of 19
Worked example
Worked example: correcting three sentences
'Soy trece años' → Tengo trece años (age uses tener). 'Estoy inglesa' → Soy inglesa (nationality is identity). 'Soy en el parque' → Estoy en el parque (location uses estar). Each error is a direct translation from English, which is the pattern to watch for.
Challenge round
Part 15 of 19
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Reset break
Part 16 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 4 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 17 of 19
Game · Recall cards
Complete: 'Ma sœur est ___.' (sporty)
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 18 of 19
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Ser y tener: the two verbs you need most
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. Complete: 'Ma sœur est ___.' (sporty)
2. What does French add to most adjectives to make them feminine?
3. Where do most French adjectives sit in a sentence?
4. Which is correctly agreed for 'une maison' (feminine)?
Lesson round-up
Part 19 of 19
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
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Ask LunaPart 1 of 19 · Watch & discover
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Use accurate grammar, spelling and punctuation, including gender, agreement and word order as appropriate to the language