How do you conjugate the verb ser?

To conjugate the Spanish verb ser (to be) you’ll need to identify which of the three main tenses and five main moods suits the grammatical situation best. You can begin by learning the most frequently used tenses such as present indicative and preterite (past tense). Ser is also an irregular verb, which means that it doesn’t follow typical grammar rules. Conjugation charts can be useful for learning the different conjugations

What is the past tense of ser?

There are multiple past tense conjugations of ser . When speaking and writing you’ll mainly use “Yo fui” or “Yo era” (I was) and “Yo había sido” (I had been). These three tenses are called the preterite, imperfect, and past perfect. By learning to conjugate them, you’ll be able to describe most situations that require the use of the verb “to be” in the past tense.

Siendo is the gerund form of the Spanish verb ser . Notice that the -er ending of the verb is replaced by -iendo. To conjugate this verb form, you’ll need to combine it with the verb estar (which is another form of the English verb “to be”). For each pronoun, the verb estar changes but siendo always stays the same.

What does the verb ser mean?

Ser is one of the two ways of saying “to be” in Spanish. It describes the state of being of a person, place, or thing. It can also describe identity, permanent characteristics, belonging, or origin. One clear example to show you the meaning of the verb ser is “Yo soy Eliza” which means “I am Eliza.”

Ser Conjugation | How to Conjugate Ser in Spanish

María José Escobar Published on February 14, 2023

This article covers everything you need to know about the Spanish verb ser, which means “to be.” First, we’ll look at what the verb means and its conjugation in different tenses. For each verb tense, you’ll find a definition, a complete verb conjugation chart, and example sentences. By the end of the article, you’ll be able to conjugate ser in all Spanish verb tenses. Let’s get started!

The Spanish verb ser is translated as “to be” in English. However, the Spanish verb estar also means “to be.” Ser describes what something is, while estar describes how something is. You’ll use the verb ser to talk about the permanent characteristics, location, and belonging. Ser is one of the most commonly used verbs, but it’s also an irregular verb. This means it doesn’t have a regular pattern of conjugation.

Let’s start by taking a look at the table below to see the three common forms of the verb ser: the infinitive, gerund, and past participle.

Here are three example sentences that use the conjugations of ser from the table above:

Infinitive: Cuando crezca, quiero ser doctor. (When I grow up, I want to be a doctor.)
Gerund: Ellos están siendo de mucha ayuda. (They are being very helpful.)
Past Participle: Ese lugar siempre ha sido frío. (That place has always been cold.)

Now that you’ve learned the three main Spanish conjugations of ser, we’ll take a look at the verb tenses for each conjugation. To see the verb conjugated, click on the specific tense to jump to it.

Indicative

Present
Future
Preterite
Imperfect
Conditional

Perfect

Present Perfect
Future Perfect
Past Perfect (Pluperfect)
Conditional Perfect
Preterite Perfect (Past Anterior)

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive
Future Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive

Perfect Subjunctive

Present Perfect Subjunctive
Future Perfect Subjunctive
Pluperfect Subjunctive

Imperative

How to Conjugate Ser in Indicative Tense

The indicative tense belongs to one of the four moods in Spanish. We use this mood to describe factual situations or statements. These can be past, present, future, or conditional. You’ll find that there are five different tenses for this mood: the present, future, preterite, imperfect, and conditional tense.

Indicative Present

The indicative present describes facts or permanent situations. We use it to indicate the state of being of a noun or pronoun at the present moment or a noun or pronoun’s specific characteristic. For example, the conjugation of ser for the pronoun “I” is “Yo soy,” which means “I am.” Note that this is one of the most commonly used conjugations of ser in the present tense.

In the following table we’ll take a look at the conjugations of ser for this tense:

Pronoun	Ser Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Soy	I am
Tú	Eres	You are
Vos	Sos	You are
Él/Ella/Usted	Es	He/She is, You are
Nosotros	Somos	We are
Vosotros	Sois	You are
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Son	They are, You are

Here are some example sentences that use the conjugations of ser from the table above:

Yo soy un excelente estudiante. (I am an excellent student.)
La montaña es muy alta. (The mountain is very high.)
El congreso es en Londrés. (The congress is in London.)
El vestido es de ella. (The dress is hers.)
Ellos son de Canadá. (They are from Canada.)
¡Vosotros sois muy amables! (You are very kind!)

Return to Conjugation Table

Indicative Future

We use the indicative future tense when speaking of the state of being, characteristics, or belonging of a noun or pronoun in the future. This tense shows certainty of a future event. It’s often used for predictions, goals, intentions, or plans.

In the table below, you’ll see all the different ser conjugations for this tense:

Pronoun	Ser Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Seré	I will be
Tú	Serás	You will be
Vos	Serás	You will be
Él/Ella/Usted	Será	He/She/You will be
Nosotros	Seremos	We will be
Vosotros	Seréis	They will be
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Serán	They will be, You will be

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