As a sequel to
my Spanish-speaking exposure background, I have been to these Spanish
speaking countries. They are Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador,
Mexico, Panama, Peru, Spain, and Uruguay.
One thing nice
about the Spanish language is that its native speakers understand
each other no matter what Spanish speaking countries they come from.
The only distinctive differences are colloquial terms and idiomatic
expressions that differ from country to country. For example in Chile
the word POLOLEAR is used to describe dating a woman and having a
love relationship. In Uruguay it is called DRAGONEAR. In Chile a boyfriend
is called POLOLO; a girlfriend is POLOLA. In Spain and the rest of
the Spanish-speaking world, they are called NOVIO and NOVIA.When a
Chilean man tells a woman, QUISIERA POLOLEAR CONTIGO, it means that
he would like to be her boyfriend. In Castillian Spanish to ERR means
EQUIVOCARSE which is standard in all Spanish –speaking countries,
but to Chilean and Mexican Spanish it is also METERSE LA PATA or,
literally speaking, to put one’s foot in one’s mouth.
And with these
distinctive Iberian characteristics go also the unique usage of the
word TO BE which means SER and ESTAR in Spanish. The Portuguese language
has also two words for the verb TO BE. No other languages in the world
have dual words for this verb.
When I began to
learn Spanish in High School, my teachers stated that the verb SER
referred to things permanent and ESTAR for non-permanent objects.
I find problems with these definition. There are no permanent things
in life, and even in a profession one can elect to change. In another
instance, there is no permanent quality when beauty, outside appearance,
texture, colour, et cetera are involved. So I have since fashioned
my own rules after observing the extensive use of the SER and ESTAR
in everyday Spanish usage both in reading/writing and conversation.
Let us conjugate
the verb SER in the present tense: YO SOY; TU ERES; EL, ELLA, USTED
ES; NOSTROS SOMOS; VOSOTROS SOIS; ELLOS, ELLAS, USTEDES SON.
(Please note that
the word VOSOTROS is only used in Spain. In Latin America the word
used is USTEDES.)
As a general rule,
the verb SER is used when we speak of (1) quality, beauty, colour,
goodness, economic standing; (2 texture; (3) size; (4) what a material
or a thing is made of, (5) profession; (6) positive/comparative/superlative
descriptions; (7) origin, nationality, and possession; (8) age and
intelligence attributes; (9) contents; and (10) truth and falsehood.
1. For quality,
beauty, colour or appearance, economic description, we say Maria Elena
ES una mujer buena or Mary Ellen is a good woman; La manzana es amarilla
or the apple is yellow; La mujer ES tan preciosa or the woman is such
a beauty or so beautiful; Mi vicino ES muy rico. My neighbour is rich.
2. For texture, we say: La cascara de limon ES brusca or the lemon’s
rind is rough; La puerta de hierro ES muy herrumbrosa. The iron gate
is very rusty
3. For size, we say: El hombre ES muy alto. The man is very tall.
La calle ES muy ancha or the street is very wide.
4. For what a material or a thing is made of, we say: La mesa ES de
madera or the table is made of wood; El anillo ES de oro. The ring
is made of gold.
5. When we talk of profession, we say: Onofre ES un contador publico
licenciado. Jeffrey is a certified public accountant.
6. For positive, comparative and superlative descriptions, we say:
Ella ES un angel. She is an angel. Comparatively, we can say Ignacio
ES mas alto que Guillermo. Ignatius is taller than William. Superlatively,
we say Alejandro ES mas alto de todos muchachos en su escuela. Alex
is the tallest in his school.
7. For origin, nationality, and possesion, we say: SOY de Madrid or
I am from Madrid; SOMOS Filipinos or we are Filipinos; and El secreto
tuyo ES tambien lo mio or your secret is also my secret.
8. For age and intelligence we say: La mujer ES joven or the woman
is young. Adan ES muy intelligente. Adam is very intelligent.
9. To describe contents, we say: La historia suya ES lleno de maravilla
or your tale is full of wonder; Mis sentimientos por y para ti SON
repletos de querer, or my sentiments are laden with love for only
you.
10. Truth and falsehood. We can say, El reportaje de la guerra ES
(no ES) la verdad. The report of the war is (is not) true.
Now for the verb ESTAR, we conjugate it in the present tense as: ESTOY;
ESTAS; ESTA; ESTAMOS; ESTAIS; ESTAN.
The verb estar
is used to describe (1) feelings including anger, sadness, happiness;
(2) to describe other state of mind and affairs; (3) to use as a gerund
(is coming, is sleeping); (4) to describe marital status; (5) temperature;
(6) to be in agreement; (7) to indicate distance; (8) location; (9)
absence or presence.
1. For feelings,
we say: Mi hermana ESTA feliz or my sister is happy; ESTAMOS muy enojados(as)
or we are very angry. ESTAS muy triste or YOU are very sad.
2. To describe other state of mind and affairs, we can express ESTOY
tranquilo or I am quiet. Ella ESTA muy apurada. She is very much in
a hurry. Ellos ESTAN ocupados. They are busy. Tu ESTAS de apuros or
you are in trouble.
3. As a gerund we say: ESTAMOS buscandote or we are looking for you.
4. For marital status, we say: ESTAN casados(as). They are married.
ESTOY separado(a)) o divorciado(a). I am separated or divorced.
5. For temperature, we say: El Agua ESTA caliente. The water is hot.
6. To be in agreement with someone, we say: ESTAMOS de acuerdo con
vosotros o con ustedes. We agree with you or we are in agreement with
you.
7. For describing distance, we say: La casa tuya ESTA muy lejos de
la escuela. Your house is very far from school.
8. For location, we say: La ciudad de Manila ESTA en las Filipinas.
Manila is in the Philippines. Tu ESTAS siempre en mi corazon, or you
are always in my heart.
9. To indicate absence or presence, we say El ESTA ausente/presente
en la clase de fisica hoy. She is absent/present in the physics class
today.
The next lesson will be on the verbs.
The pictures below
were taken with the Indios Colorados of Santo Domingo in Ecuador in
1968; the other, with an Argentinian woman of German parents in Buenos
Aires, Argentina in 1970.
