Lección 1: ¿Ser o estar? + first steps in vocabulary (40 min)

¡Bienvenidos!

In Spanish, understanding the difference between “ser” and “estar” is crucial, as both verbs mean “to be” but are used in different contexts:

1. Ser: Used for permanent or essential characteristics, such as identity, nationality, professions, and inherent qualities.
   • Examples:
     • “Yo soy María” (I am María) – identity.
     • “Ella es española” (She is Spanish) – nationality.
     • “Él es médico” (He is a doctor) – profession.
     • “El cielo es azul” (The sky is blue) – inherent characteristic.
2. Estar: Used for temporary states or conditions, locations, and emotions.
   • Examples:
     • “Estoy en casa” (I am at home) – location.
     • “Estoy cansado” (I am tired) – temporary state.
     • “La comida está caliente” (The food is hot) – temporary condition.
     • “Estamos felices” (We are happy) – emotion.

“Ser” focuses on what something or someone permanently is, while “estar” refers to how something or someone is at a given moment, including locations and temporary states.

Now, for the numbers from 1 to 20 in Spanish:

1. Uno
2. Dos
3. Tres
4. Cuatro
5. Cinco
6. Seis
7. Siete
8. Ocho
9. Nueve
10. Diez
11. Once
12. Doce
13. Trece
14. Catorce
15. Quince
16. Dieciséis
17. Diecisiete
18. Dieciocho
19. Diecinueve
20. Veinte

Typical Spanish greetings from Spain and their English translations:

1. Hola – Hello
2. Buenos días – Good morning
3. Buenas tardes – Good afternoon/evening
4. Buenas noches – Good night
5. ¿Qué tal? – How are you?
6. ¿Cómo estás? – How are you?
7. Encantado/a (m/f) – Pleased to meet you
8. Mucho gusto – Nice to meet you
9. Hasta luego – See you later
10. Adiós – Goodbye

To finish the lesson, here are 3 PDFs that will help you to understand it better, feel free to send us the answers and we will be happy to correct them.