5.1 Basic Sentences — White’s First Day at Work

In their office, John White and José Molina begin to get better acquainted. They discuss where they are from, personal lives, and make plans for lunch.

At the Office

English	Spanish
Molina	Molina
John, this is going to be your desk.	Juan, éste va a ser su escritorio.
Whatever you need, let me know.	Cualquier cosa que necesite, avíseme.
White	White
O.K. Thanks a lot.	Muy bien. Muchísimas gracias.

Getting to Know Each Other

English	Spanish
Molina	Molina
What part of the States are you from?	¿De qué parte de los Estados Unidos es usted?
White	White
I’m from San Francisco, California.	Soy de San Francisco, California.
Where are you from?	Y usted, ¿de dónde es?
Molina	Molina
I’m from here.	Soy de aquí.
Did you come with your family?	¿Vino usted con su familia?
White	White
No, I’m a bachelor.	No, soy soltero.
What about you? Are you married?	Y usted, ¿es casado?
Molina	Molina
No, I’m a bachelor, too.	No, soy soltero también.

Lunch Plans

English	Spanish
White	White
What time is it?	¿Qué hora es?
Molina	Molina
It’s a quarter to twelve.	Son las doce menos cuarto.
Are you hungry already?	¿Es que ya tiene hambre?
White	White
Yes, quite hungry. Is there a good restaurant near here?	Sí, bastante. ¿Hay un buen restorán cerca de aquí?
Molina	Molina
Yes, there’s one around the corner that’s good and inexpensive.	Sí, hay uno a la vuelta que es bueno y barato.
We can have lunch together. OK with you?	Podemos almorzar juntos. ¿Le parece bien?
White	White
Sure. Let’s go.	Cómo no. Vamos.

5.10 Notes on the Basic Sentences

(1) Necesite is an example of a verb form called the subjunctive, which has no exact equivalent in English. Forms of this type will be designated in English by the translation device “that (you) may…” The particular use of a subjunctive construction illustrated in the present sentence will be drilled in Unit 40.

5.2 Drills and Grammar

The Irregular Verb ser

Spanish has two verbs that translate the English “to be”: estar (presented in Unit 4) and ser (presented in this unit). They are not equivalent — they divide an area of meaning that is covered by the single English verb “be.”

The verb ser is highly irregular in the present tense:

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	yo soy (I am)	nosotros somos (we are)
2nd familiar	tú eres (you are)	—
2nd formal / 3rd	usted/él/ella es (you are / he/she is)	ustedes/ellos/ellas son (you all / they are)

Ser vs. Estar

The difference can be generalized as follows:

Ser is the link of identity — the essential, inherent, or permanent.
Estar is the link of association — the casual, accidental, or temporary.

When a noun follows the linking verb to express complete identity, ser is always selected: Juan es mi hermano (“John is my brother”).

When an adjective follows, one must decide whether identity or association is appropriate. The choice may seem arbitrary to English speakers, but it carries real meaning in Spanish. For example:

Spanish	Meaning
La casa es bonita.	The house is (inherently) pretty.
La casa está bonita.	The house looks pretty (on this occasion).

Estar (association)	Ser (identity)
¿Cómo está María? — How is Mary (feeling)?	¿Cómo es María? — What’s Mary like?
¿Dónde está su esposo? — Where is your husband (located)?	¿De dónde es su esposo? — Where is your husband from?
¿Dónde está la fiesta? — Where’s the party (being held)?	¿Dónde es la fiesta? — Where’s the party (taking place)?

Using ser when estar is expected (or vice versa) is a serious error in Spanish — as genuinely different as confusing any other two verbs. An American seeking proficiency needs to acquire a “feel” for the distinction by memorizing a large number of sentences in meaningful contexts.

When a verb modifier (adverb of location, etc.) appears with the linking verb, estar is generally selected, though not exclusively.

Key Examples — Ser in Context

Spanish	English
Soy americano.	I’m (an) American.
Son casados.	They are married.
Somos solteros.	We’re single.
Son de aquí.	They’re from here.
Es de California.	He/She is from California.
Son las doce menos cuarto.	It’s a quarter to twelve.
Mi nombre es José.	My name is José.

Translation Drill — Ser

English	Spanish
We’re from San Francisco.	Somos de San Francisco.
She’s married, too.	Ella es casada también.
The hotels are excellent.	Los hoteles son excelentes.
Where’s the lady from?	¿De qué parte es la señora?
Where are you from?	¿De dónde es usted?
My name is Pancho.	Mi nombre es Pancho.
I’m American.	Soy americano.
How much is the tip?	¿Cuánto es la propina?
They’re from the Consular Section.	Ellos son de la sección consular.
When is the trip?	¿Cuándo es el viaje?
The pleasure is mine.	El gusto es mío.
We’re married, too.	Somos casados también.
The restaurants are not expensive.	Los restoranes son baratos.

Variation Drills — Origins

English	Spanish
And where’s the gentleman from?	Y el señor, ¿de dónde es?
And where’s Mrs. Molina from?	Y la señora Molina, ¿de dónde es?
And where’s the taxi driver from?	Y el chofer de taxi, ¿de dónde es?
And where’s the waiter from?	Y el mozo, ¿de dónde es?
And where’s the cashier from?	Y el cajero, ¿de dónde es?
And where are John and José from?	Y Juan y José, ¿de dónde son?
And where are the Molinas from?	Y los Molina, ¿de dónde son?

Variation Drills — Soy de… (Identity)

English	Spanish
I’m from the United States.	Soy de los Estados Unidos.
I’m from Florida.	Soy de Florida.
I’m from here.	Soy de aquí.
I’m a bachelor.	Soy soltero.
I’m a taxi driver.	Soy chofer de taxi.
We’re married.	Somos casados.
We’re single.	Somos solteros.

Variation Drills — ¿Qué…es? (Identification)

English	Spanish
What day is it?	¿Qué día es?
What language is it?	¿Qué lengua es?
What hotel is it?	¿Qué hotel es?
What school is it?	¿Qué escuela es?
What tables are they?	¿Qué mesas son?
What books are they?	¿Qué libros son?
What kind of a thing is it?	¿Qué cosa es?

Variation Drills — Telling Time

English	Spanish
It’s a quarter to twelve.	Son las doce menos cuarto.
It’s fifteen to twelve.	Son las doce menos quince.
It’s ten to eleven.	Son las once menos diez.
It’s twenty to seven.	Son las siete menos veinte.
It’s five to nine.	Son las nueve menos cinco.
It’s a quarter to eight.	Son las ocho menos cuarto.
It’s six.	Son las seis.
It’s one.	Es la una.

Variation Drills — ¿Ya tiene…? (Already)

English	Spanish
Have you got the dollars already?	¿Ya tiene los dólares?
Have you got the check already?	¿Ya tiene el cheque?
Has she got a room already?	¿Ya tiene un cuarto?
Has she got a table already?	¿Ya tiene una mesa?
Has he got twenty dollars already?	¿Ya tiene veinte dólares?
Does he have a hotel?	¿Tiene un hotel?
Does he have a taxi?	¿Tiene un taxi?

Variation Drills — Describing Places

English	Spanish
Yes, there’s one here that’s very good.	Sí, hay uno aquí que es muy bueno.
Yes, there’s one here that’s excellent.	Sí, hay uno aquí que es excelente.
Yes, there’s one there, but it costs a lot.	Sí, hay uno ahí, pero cuesta mucho.
Yes, there’s one at the Embassy but it’s busy.	Sí, hay uno en la Embajada pero está ocupado.
Yes, there’s one on the first floor who is an American.	Sí, hay uno en el primer piso que es americano.
No, there’s not another one to the left.	No, no hay otro a la izquierda.
No, there’s not another school of languages.	No, no hay otra escuela de lenguas.

Note: The full drills and practice exercises are designed for oral work with the audio recordings. Open the Student Text PDF for the complete drill sets.

White's First Day at Work

Grammar Focus

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