Coffee Break Spanish – "Calendar Dates in Spanish using 'ser' AND 'estar'"

Host: Annabel
Release Date: October 2, 2025
Episode Theme:
This episode explores how to express calendar dates in Spanish using both the verbs “ser” and “estar.” Annabel explains how both verbs can be used for dates, when to choose one over the other, and what subtle meanings each form conveys. The lesson is aimed at helping learners sound more natural and confident in their Spanish when discussing dates and times.

Main Episode Overview

In this episode, Annabel dives into the nuanced use of the Spanish verbs “ser” and “estar” for talking about dates, going beyond their basic distinctions. She demonstrates the difference between using “ser” (to be) in a factual, impersonal manner and “estar” (to be) in its more personal, experiential form, especially when referring to calendar dates as experienced by a group (using “nosotros” conjugation). Step-by-step, Annabel gives learners practical sentence structures, offers translation tips, and presents short interactive exercises.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Refresher on “Ser” and “Estar”

• Setting the context for the lesson: “Today I am very excited because I’m bringing you a very nice point about ser and estar.” (Annabel, 01:16)
  • Annabel briefly recalls a previous episode on using “ser” and “estar” for location, setting up their application to calendar dates.

2. “Ser” for Dates – The Standard Formula

• Typical way to state the day/date in Spanish:
  • “How do we say ‘it’s Monday’ in Spanish? ...We use ser for dates so we say ‘es lunes.’” (Annabel, 02:00)
  • Extended: “Hoy es viernes y es dieciocho de abril.” (Today is Friday and it’s the 18th of April.)

Tone

• Neutral, factual, and impersonal.

3. The “Estar” Alternative – Making Dates More Personal

• Introducing ‘estar’ in the nosotros form:
  • “What happens if I tell you we can say the very same thing but using estar? …it’ll sound a bit better. No te preocupes, es muy facilita. Don’t worry, it’s very easy.” (Annabel, 02:36)
  • Structure: “Hoy estamos a viernes y estamos a dieciocho de abril.”
    • Literal translation: “Today we are on Friday and we are on the 18th of April.”
  • This construction, while odd literally in English, is idiomatic and personal in Spanish.

Why use ‘estar’ here?

• “It is more personal because it’s talking about my own experience. We achieve this by conjugating the verb estar in the nosotros form.” (Annabel, 03:05)

4. Practical Examples and Prepositions

• “‘Estamos a domingo.’ (It’s Sunday.)
  ‘Estamos a catorce de enero.’ (It’s the 14th of January.)
  ‘Estamos a dos mil veinticinco.’ (It’s 2025.)” (Annabel, 03:23)

  • Use ‘estar’ in the nosotros form, plus the preposition a for specific dates.

• For months or seasons, use en:

  • “‘Estamos en octubre.’ (It’s October.)
    ‘Estamos en verano.’ (It’s summer.)” (Annabel, 03:45)

5. Crucial Cautions and Exceptions

• Do not use ‘estar’ for scheduling future events:
  • “Be careful, because this use of estar in the nosotros form is for when we say the date. …If you are saying that the appointment will be on Monday, ser is our only option.” (Annabel, 04:05)
  • Example: “La cita será el lunes.” (The appointment will be on Monday.)

Key Rule

• “‘Ser’ locates events on the calendar; ‘estar’ is for expressing today’s date personally.”
• “For locating events we use ser.” (Annabel, 04:19)

Practice Activities (with Timestamps)

Guided Questions for Listeners

[05:00] Practice:

• “A qué día estamos hoy?” (What day is it today?)
  • Expected answers:
    • “Estamos a sábado.”
    • “Estamos a doce de noviembre.”

[06:00] Practice:

• “¿En qué estación del año estamos?” (What season are we in?)
  • Expected answer:
    • “Estamos en otoño.” (We are in autumn.)

Challenge Exercise

[06:40]

• Decide on ‘ser’ or ‘estar’ for:

  • “The meeting is on Tuesday and today is Monday.”
    • “La reunión es el martes y hoy es lunes.” (using ser)
    • Or: “…y hoy estamos a lunes.” (using estar for the personal touch)

• “Both are correct, but using estar is a bit more personal.” (Annabel, 07:17)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Highlighting personal perspective using ‘estar’:

  “We achieve this by conjugating the verb estar in the nosotros form. This means we can use estar in the nosotros form for dates instead of using ser in the third person singular.”
  — Annabel (03:03)

• On why it’s worth mastering:

  “Ser and estar can be mastered if you keep practicing the language. Understanding how these verbs are used in context is essential to using these two tricky verbs naturally.”
  — Annabel (08:00)

Tools & Resources

• Annabel mentions that listeners can sign up to the Coffee Break Spanish newsletter for regular mini lessons:

  “If you would like to keep improving your Spanish, you can receive regular free mini lessons straight to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter. Just go to coffeebreaklanguages.com Spanish.” (Annabel, 08:20)

Episode Summary Table

| Timestamp | Segment | Key Point | |-----------|-------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------| | 01:16 | Introduction | Context for ser & estar for dates | | 02:00 | Ser for dates | Es lunes / hoy es viernes (impersonal) | | 02:36 | Estar for dates (personal) | Hoy estamos a viernes (nosotros form) | | 03:23 | Examples: domains for a/en prepositions | Prepositions “a” for dates, “en” for months/seasons | | 04:05 | Warning: ser for locating events | La cita será el lunes (event scheduling) | | 05:00 | Practice: ¿A qué día estamos hoy? | Using estar + a for today's date | | 06:00 | Practice: ¿En qué estación del año estamos? | Using estar + en for the season | | 06:40 | Challenge: Which verb to use? | Ser for events, estar for dates | | 08:00 | Closing remarks | Keep practicing to master ser & estar |

Final Takeaway

Annabel provides clear, practical guidance on stating dates in Spanish, emphasizing the importance of choosing between ser and estar depending on context and personal nuance. Using examples, role plays, and interactive exercises, she gives learners the confidence to master this subtlety in real-world Spanish conversations.

“Ser locates events on the calendar, estar expresses today’s experience of the date.” (Implicit summary, 04:19–08:00)