Categories
Improving language Spanish as a language Writing in Spanish

Spanish and its distinction between ser and estar

As mentioned in previous articles, Spanish is one of the world’s most extensive and diverse languages ​​. It also stands out for a particularity that distinguishes it from many other languages: the difference between the verbs “ser” and “estar” to express the concept of “being” in different senses. This distinction, which may seem complex to non-native speakers, reflects a philosophical and historical depth that has influenced the language’s grammar and how speakers perceive reality.

The distinction between “ser” and “estar”: origin and philosophy

The separation between the concepts of “ser” and “estar” has roots in Vulgar Latin, the colloquial form of Latin spoken by ordinary citizens in the Roman Empire. Although in popular Latin, there was still no differentiation between the verb that referred to the essence or nature of things and the verb that referred to temporary states or conditions, there were esse (to exist) and stare (to stand). As Latin evolved into the Romance languages, Spanish retained these two verbs and expanded their meaning. In contrast, other languages ​​, such as Italian or French, simplified their verbal systems and merged these concepts into a single verb.

Philosophically, the distinction between “ser” and “estar” implies a dual view of reality: a difference between the immutable essence of something and its transitory state or condition. When we use “ser,” we are talking about an intrinsic or defining quality, as in “es una persona gentil.” When we use “estar,” we point to a momentary condition, as in “está cansado.” This usage reflects a complex perception in which Spanish distinguishes between the permanent and the temporary, the essential and the accidental.

Examples in other languages

Spanish is not the only language that distinguishes between two concepts of “being”. In Galician and Catalan, other Romance languages ​​of the Iberian Peninsula, two verbs differentiate between an essential quality and a temporary condition. This distinction is crucial in Galician, for example, where “ser” and “estar” are used in a way essential to understanding the language.

Outside of the Romance languages, modern Greek also has an interesting differentiation between the verb “είμαι” (eímai) to describe more permanent states and additional verbs to describe transitory states, although there is no exact correspondence. In other Indo-European languages ​​, such as Hindi, some verbs specialise in expressing temporary conditions versus permanent states, although they do not function like in English. This trend indicates that the need to separate concepts of ser and estar reflects, in part, how different cultures interpret reality.

Consequences of Teaching Spanish

For students of Spanish as a foreign language, distinguishing between “ser” and “estar” is one of the most challenging aspects to master. This is particularly true for speakers of languages ​​that do not have this distinction—English, for example. In English, the verb “to be” covers both meanings, and the distinction is only inferred from context or additional modifiers. This reliance on context and modifiers to understand the distinction in English can make it challenging for learners to grasp when to use ‘ser’ or ‘estar’ in Spanish, as it requires a shift in understanding how a language can structure and categorise reality more precisely in terms of permanence and temporality.

The different use of “ser” and “estar” not only enriches the vocabulary of Spanish but also provides a powerful tool to express ideas and nuances that in other languages ​​require longer explanations. The language thus reflects a particular sensitivity towards the characteristics of people, objects and situations, showing a nuance that has both linguistic and cultural roots. For example, in Spanish, we can say “él se dejó ser” and “él se dejó estar”, and both expressions refer to totally different things. The first alludes to the fact that he decided to live the life he wanted. The second expression indicates that he abandoned himself, probably referring to his physical condition, causing the years to affect his physical state negatively.

The duality between “ser” and “estar” in Spanish is not merely a grammatical issue; it reflects how Spanish speakers perceive reality and distinguish between what is essential and what is transitory. This differentiation, shared to a certain extent with other languages, reveals a cultural depth that is part of the identity of the language. By learning to use “ser” and “estar,” one learns a grammatical rule, and at the same time, one better understands the richness of a language that seeks to capture the essence and change precisely. Isn’t that beautiful?

Keep learning curiosities about the language and the Spanish language, visiting and reading the articles we publish weekly on the iScribo blog. If you want to improve your Spanish writing and correct a specific variant of this language, subscribe to our superb grammar checker. We are waiting for you!

Categories
Improving language

10 Amazing Benefits of Learning Another Language

Have you ever wondered what are the advantages of learning languages? There are many reasons and benefits of learning another language, not only for work but also for personal reasons. Learning languages opens your opportunities to travel, to meet new people and to immerse yourself in interesting and different cultures.

Many years ago, learning different languages was thought to confuse the brain and hinder cognitive development. Fortunately, science has shown that this is not correct and that, on the contrary, learning languages gives us much more than it takes away. Like everything in life, it has its disadvantages, but the only one we can find is the time and effort you have to consume when learning, but is this a real disadvantage? Pushing ourselves to improve and learn develops us as people and fills us with motivation and opportunities. That’s why iScribo brings you today 10 benefits of learning another language, but there are many more!

1. Your Brain Increases Your Limits

The benefits of learning another language for the brain are more than proven. By learning a second language, the language centres of our brain expand, and the more we learn, the more areas of the brain grow. The brain is a muscle, when you train it, it grows and gets stronger.

2. Your Competences at Work Improve

The benefits of learning another language for work are obvious. You will have more opportunities than other candidates and your salary could be higher as you have more skills. Work travel increases and so do your chances of growing within a company. It is proven!

3. Increased Travel Opportunities

Not only for work but knowing the language will encourage you to travel more and break the barriers of your knowledge. Travelling is always a pleasure, or it is most of the time, so what could be better than speaking the language of the country you are going to? You will discover new and more interesting facts than people who don’t speak the local language, and that’s right! For example, it opens doors to meet new people from other cultures.

4. Benefits for Your Health

By exercising the main areas of your brain, learning languages slows down the progression of diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia. Incredible, right? This is because speaking languages keeps your brain healthy and we are inadvertently forcing it to exercise without even knowing it.

5. Improves Your Communication Skills

Your communication skills are clearly strengthened when you speak several languages. By doing so, your brain will find the best way to communicate – by practice and experience, there is no doubt.

6. Develops Your Hearing Capability

Your senses are on alert when they are out of their comfort zone. This is precisely what happens when you learn foreign languages – your hearing is sharpened by the mere instinct to try to hear better. The same happens with the rest of your senses with other activities, like a surgeon after years of practice with a scalpel.

7. Improve Your Instinct

Elementary, my dear Watson. Once you learn and master a second language, it is incredibly easier to learn a third and then a fourth. This explains the advantages of learning a foreign language from a young age. Being bilingual since the day you were born matters!

8. Increases Your Personal Development

Everyone has concerns about what is next in life at some point, and I’m sure that at least once it has crossed your mind to pack your suitcase and start from scratch in another country. Knowing the target language gives us that push we need to calm our concerns and grow as people. Knowing a language puts an end to the ‘what ifs’.

9. You Make Better Decisions

When we think in a foreign language, we reduce the possibility of falling into cognitive biases. Our capacity for analysis is quicker and rational decision-making is superior. This reason is definitely a winner!

10. Improves Your Attention

The ability to pay attention is proportional to the effort we make to learn, another fact we bring you today. When we learn a new language, we pay more attention to making the process go faster. This creates a habit – or rather a virtue – that we apply to other aspects of life.

Learning Languages With AI

iScribo is a tool that corrects your Spanish as you write. Artificial intelligence plays a crucial role in the way we learn languages, why don’t we make the most of it to apply it to our profit? Our spelling and grammar checker uses all the advantages that artificial intelligence offers us. We have shown you ten reasons why you shouldn’t waste any more time and start learning new languages. We can think of others, such as meeting new people and expanding into different cultures. Can you tell us any other benefits of learning another language you can think of? Tell us in the comments.

Want more Spanish tips?

Get them direct to your inbox

Sign up for tips and tricks to perfect your Spanish writing skills. You’ll be writing like a native in no time.

Free Trial until 30 September 2021: Our subscription programme does not start until 1 October 2021. So, as long as you provide us with a feedback you can use our site for free until noon 30 September 2021 (GMT)