Kilo Lingo

Spanish · Chapter 2 · Lesson 6 · Common mistake

es or está?

The first thing English speakers get wrong in Spanish, and the one that never stops mattering.

The rule

ser is what something IS - identity, origin, what kind of thing it is. estar is how or where it is RIGHT NOW - position, condition, mood. A thing can be good (es bueno) and be well (está bien), and they are not the same claim.

Pick the right one

0/7

Pick the right one: es or está.

  1. Mi casa aquí.

  2. Él un hombre bueno.

  3. Eso verdad.

  4. Ella aquí ahora.

  5. Él bien.

  6. un día muy bueno.

  7. Todo mejor ahora.

This gets a lesson of its own in chapter 5, where it is covered properly. This drill is the shape of it.

Read ahead: the full lesson