Ser vs Estar in Spanish: Using ser in Spanish (not estar) to say what you do for a living

Ser vs Estar in Spanish: professions

When we want to say what we do for a living we use the verb ser followed by a profession. For example:

Yo soy camarero.I am a waiter.

Yo soy camarera.I am a waitress.

Mis hermanos son ingenieros.My brothers are engineers.

Mis hermanas son doctoras.My sisters are doctors.

Nosotras somos enfermeras.We are [female] nurses.

Ustedes son abogados.You are lawyers.

Notice that the adjective that describes the profession needs to agree in gender and number with the subject.

Also notice that in Spanish we do not add the indefinite article un/una [a] before the profession. Have a look:

¿Tú eres una azafata? -Sí, soy una azafata.
Are you a stewardess?-Yes, I am a stewardess.

To see how verb estar can sometimes be used to talk about jobs that we don't consider as defining us, or as our profession, see Ser vs Estar in Spanish: Using estar (not ser) + de for a temporary job.

See also Conjugate ser in the present tense in Spanish (El Presente).

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Examples and resources

Nosotras somos enfermeras.We are [female] nurses.
Ustedes son abogados.You are lawyers.
Yo soy camarero.I am a waiter.
Yo soy camarera.I am a waitress.
Mis hermanos son ingenieros.My brothers are engineers.
Mis hermanas son doctoras.My sisters are doctors.
¿Tú eres una azafata?Are you a stewardess?
Nosotras somos enfermeras.We are [female] nurses.
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