Family, Friends and Relationships — Vocabulary and Ser/Estar

Family and the two to-be verbs 👪

To talk about your family in Spanish you need the **vocabulary**, the little word for **my** (mi), and the two Spanish verbs for **to be**: **ser** and **estar**. Spanish splits to be in two. You use **ser** for permanent things, like who someone is (es mi hermano, he is my brother), and **estar** for temporary states, like how someone feels (está cansado, he is tired).

Words for the family 📖

Learn each family word with its English meaning:

Ser or estar? ⚖️

Both ser and estar mean to be, but they are used differently:

Match the Spanish to the English 🔗

Which word? 🎯

Which Spanish word means sister?

• la hermana
• la madre
• el hermano
• la tía

Ser for who you are 🔑

Use **ser** for things that do not change easily. The form for he or she is **es**. Use it for **relationships** (es mi hermano, he is my brother), for **characteristics** (es simpático, he is nice), and for **where someone is from** (es español, he is Spanish).

Match the Spanish phrase to its meaning 🔀

Which need ser? ✅

Select the TWO sentences that should use SER, because they describe a permanent thing.

• He is my brother
• She is Spanish
• He is tired
• She is at home

Build the sentence 🪜

An interactive activity.

Complete the Spanish 🧩

For a relationship, use ser: he is my brother is _____ mi hermano. For a feeling, use estar: he is tired is _____ cansado. My parents are tired uses the plural estar: mis padres _____ cansados. The word for my is _____ for one person and _____ for more than one.

Spot the true statements 🖍️

An interactive activity.

Ser or estar? 🧭

An interactive activity.

Explain ser and estar ✍️

An interactive activity.