KS2 · Spanish · Year 5

How are you today and usually? 'Estar' for states and 'ser' for traits

Me and others: singular 'estar' (for states) and 'ser' (for traits)

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IllumED · 1/10

Your learning goal

I can say how I and others are today and usually using 'estar' and 'ser'.

1 of 10

How are you today and usually? 'Estar' for states and 'ser' for traits: slides adapted from the imported teaching text; recall questions created from its keywords, learning points and common mistakes. Self-check practice, with no automatic grading or XP. Answers stay on this page and are cleared when you leave.

Original teaching resources

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What you’ll learn

I can say how I and others are today and usually using 'estar' and 'ser'.

Key learning points

Using known words, cognates and context can help you decipher the meaning of unfamiliar words like a word detective.
To ask someone who they are, use ¿quién eres?. To ask what they are like generally use ¿cómo eres?
The verb 'ser' meaning 'to be, being' is used for general traits.
The verb 'estar' meaning 'to be, being' is used for location and temporary states.

Words to know

quién: question word meaning 'who'
cómo: question word meaning 'how'
estar: Spanish verb meaning 'to be, being' used for location and temporary states
ser: Spanish verb meaning to be, being used for general traits

Common mistakes

There is one verb for 'to be, being' as there is in English.

In Spanish, there are two verbs for 'to be, being': 'estar' is used for location and temporary states and 'ser' is used for general traits.

For parents, carers and teachers

Additional practice of the two verbs 'estar' and 'ser' may be helpful to develop pupils' understanding of their different uses. Pupils could produce additional mini-fact files as in the lesson for themselves or fictional characters to practise ser, estar, quién and cómo.