Essential Verbs
The three pillars of Spanish conversation: Being (Ser), Having (Tener), and Calling Oneself (Llamarse).
SER
To Be (Permanent)Yo
Soy
I amTú
Eres
You are (informal)Él / Ella / Usted
Es
He/She is / You are (formal)Nosotros / Nosotras
Somos
We areVosotros / Vosotras
Sois
You all are (Spain)Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes
Son
They are / You all are💡 Using SER: Nationality & Professions
Use Ser to ask where someone is from (permanent origin) or what they do for a living (identity).
Q:¿De dónde eres?
Where are you from? (Informal)
A:Soy de España.
I am from Spain.
Q:¿De dónde es usted?
Where are you from? (Formal)
A:Soy de México.
I am from Mexico.
Q:¿Qué eres?
What are you? (Profession)
A:Soy profesor.
I am a teacher.
Q:¿En qué trabajas?
What do you work in? (Informal)
A:Trabajo como médico.
I work as a doctor.
Q:¿A qué se dedica usted?
What do you do for a living? (Formal)
A:Soy ingeniero.
I am an engineer.
TENER
To HaveYo
Tengo
I haveTú
Tienes
You have (informal)Él / Ella / Usted
Tiene
He/She has / You have (formal)Nosotros / Nosotras
Tenemos
We haveVosotros / Vosotras
Tenéis
You all have (Spain)Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes
Tienen
They have / You all have💡 Using TENER: Age
In Spanish, you don't "be" an age, you have years.
Q:¿Cuántos años tienes?
How old are you? (Informal)
A:Tengo veinte años.
I am 20 years old.
Q:¿Cuántos años tiene usted?
How old are you? (Formal)
A:Tengo treinta años.
I am 30 years old.
LLAMARSE
To Call Oneself (Name)Yo
Me llamo
I call myselfTú
Te llamas
You call yourselfÉl / Ella / Usted
Se llama
He/She calls themselvesNosotros / Nosotras
Nos llamamos
We call ourselvesVosotros / Vosotras
Os llamáis
You all call yourselvesEllos / Ellas / Ustedes
Se llaman
They call themselves💡 Using LLAMARSE: Introductions
The standard way to say your name.
Q:¿Cómo te llamas?
What is your name? (Informal)
A:Me llamo Ana.
My name is Ana.
Q:¿Cómo se llama usted?
What is your name? (Formal)
A:Me llamo Roberto.
My name is Roberto.