Español en serio
Ser vs Estar for Location in Spanish: “Ser en” vs “Estar en”
Dieser Beitrag erklärt ein wichtiges Thema der spanischen Grammatik (Text auf Englisch).
Talking about locations with “ser” or “estar”
The verb estar is used, among other things, to express location. Examples:
🟡 María está en casa. Mary is at home.
🟡 La casa de María está en Londres. Mary’s home is in London.
🟡 Londres está en Inglaterra. London is in England.
In these cases, estar expresses location (to be located/to be in a place).
But what happens when I refer to events, such as parties, meetings, matches, tournaments, weddings, funerals or concerts? In these cases we would say:
🟡 La fiesta tiene lugar en un castillo. The party takes place in a castle.
This is something different. Let’s compare:
🟡 La fiesta tiene lugar en un castillo. María está en la fiesta.
When we want to say that an event takes place somewhere, it is very common to use the verb ser:
🟡 La fiesta tiene lugar en un castillo. La fiesta es en un castillo. It is the same.
🟡 La boda tiene lugar en la iglesia. La boda es en la iglesia. It is the same.
🟡 El partido tiene lugar en Wembley. El partido es en Wembley. It is the same.
This applies to all these events: parties, meetings, matches, tournaments, weddings, funerals or concerts.
If you are learning Spanish and find explanations like this helpful, I offer personalised online Spanish lessons for students and adults worldwide, including GCSE and A-Level preparation.
Lessons are available in English or German, and I offer a free initial consultation. You can contact me at laura@spanishforlondon.com.
Example from the episode
Remember that you can read the novel that complements this blog, which I am writing alongside these grammar posts, where you can see examples in context of what we are explaining:
→ La exposición es en el museo.
→ Está cerca de la biblioteca.
Read the full episode here →
Episode 27
Remember this
Book your first free demo lesson, with no obligation on your behalf, at laura@spanishforlondon.com.
Bachelor’s degree in Literature (University of Buenos Aires). Spanish and Literature teacher. Researcher and author of Los premios Nobel de literatura. Una lectura crítica (University of Seville). More than 30 years’ experience teaching Spanish to international students.
One-to-one lessons via Zoom.
Abschluss in Literaturwissenschaft (Universität Buenos Aires). Lehrerin für Spanisch und Literatur. Forscherin und Autorin des Buches Los premios Nobel de literatura. Una lectura crítica (Universität Sevilla). Über 30 Jahre Erfahrung im Unterricht von Spanisch als Fremdsprache.
Einzelunterricht über Zoom.
