Ser vs Estar in Spanish: Using ser in Spanish (not estar) to describe relationships

Ser vs estar in Spanish: relationships

When we want to talk about relationships, such as family ties, friendship or romantic relationships, we use the verb ser (not estar).

For example:

María es mi madre.María is my mother.

Él es mi hermano.He is my brother.

Ustedes son sus padres.You are his/her/their parents.

In the examples above, we use ser to talk about family ties.

Laura es su amiga.Laura is his friend.

Ramón y Marcos son mis amigos.Ramón and Marcos are my friends.

Nosotras somos las amigas de Carlota.We are Carlota's friends.

As you can see above, we use ser to talk about friendships.

Marta es mi novia.Marta is my girlfriend.

Daniel es tu marido.Daniel is your husband.

In the examples above, we use ser to talk about romantic relationships.

See also:

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Examples and resources

Marta es mi novia.Marta is my girlfriend.
Daniel es tu marido.Daniel is your husband.
Laura es su amiga.Laura is his friend.
Ustedes son sus padres.You are his/her/their parents.
Nosotras somos las amigas de Carlota.We are Carlota's friends.
María es mi madre.María is my mother.
Él es mi hermano.He is my brother.
Ramón y Marcos son mis amigos.Ramón and Marcos are my friends.
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