'Ser' vs. 'estar' for location | A Coffee Break with Anabel

Summary

Coffee Break Spanish: 'Ser' vs. 'Estar' for Location

Episode: A Coffee Break with Anabel
Date: August 21, 2025
Host: Anabel, Coffee Break Languages

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Overview

In this mini-lesson, Anabel dives into a common challenge for Spanish learners: understanding when to use "ser" vs. "estar" for expressing location. While most learners are taught to use "estar" for location, Anabel clarifies that "ser" is also used—but specifically for locating events. With helpful examples and quick exercises, this episode breaks down the rules, giving practical and memorable guidance.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Dual "To Be" Dilemma

• Anabel welcomes listeners and introduces the tricky nature of "to be" (ser/estar) in Spanish.
  • She promises a lesson that will clear up confusion about using these verbs with location.
  • (01:03)

When to Use "Estar" for Location

• "Estar" locates people and things:
  • Example 1: “¿Dónde está la biblioteca?” (Where is the library?) — Used for a physical place or object.
  • Example 2: “Los documentos estaban en el cajón.” (The documents were in the drawer.)
  • Explanation: “We use estar to locate.”
    • (02:12 - 02:36)

When to Use "Ser" for Location

• "Ser" locates events:

  • Clear distinction: Use “ser” only when the ‘thing’ being located is an event, not a person or object.
  • Example 1: “La reunión será en el despacho del jefe.” (The meeting will be in the boss's office.)
  • Example 2: “La fiesta fue en el jardín de Clara.” (The party was in Clara's garden.)
  • Explanation:
    • “If we want to locate an event, we must use ser.” (03:34)

• Typical events:

  • "Fiesta" (party), "reunión" (meeting), "boda" (wedding), "concierto" (concert), "cita" (date), etc.

• Key quote:

  • “This is going to happen when we are locating an event… we are going to be using ser.”
    • (02:56)

Practice Exercise: Ser or Estar?

• Anabel provides practice sentences in English; listeners decide whether to use ‘ser’ or ‘estar’:

  1. The book is on the table.
     • Correct: “El libro está sobre la mesa.” (Estar, because it’s a thing.)
     • (05:11)
  2. The concert is in the central park.
     • Correct: “El concierto es en el parque central.” (Ser, because it’s an event.)
     • (05:46)
  3. The date will be at a restaurant.
     • Correct: “La cita será en un restaurante.” (Ser, because it’s an event.)
     • (06:13)

• Summary Tip:

  • “Estar is used to locate people or things in the world and ser is used to locate events.”
    • (06:40)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Clarifying the Rule:

• “You may have learned that estar is used for location and you are correct. However, what if I tell you we use ser for location too? No te preocupes porque tendra sentido. Don’t worry because all will make sense at the end of this episode.”
  • Anabel, (01:41)

Explaining with Examples:

• “Los documentos estaban en el cajón. The documents were in the drawer. Here again, we locate a thing... So, with these two examples, we can see that we use estar to locate.”

  • Anabel, (02:26)

• “La reunión será en el despacho del jefe… This is an event, so we must use ser for the location.”

  • Anabel, (03:14)

Practice and Encouragement:

• “Perfecto. I love practicing. I think that’s the best way to consolidate what we have learned.”

  • Anabel, (04:19)

• “Fantástico. Then remember, estar is used to locate people or things in the world and ser is used to locate events. Fantástico.”

  • Anabel, (06:40)

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Essential Takeaways

• Use “estar” when you want to say where a person or thing is.
• Use “ser” for locating events—where they are happening or happened.
• This rule covers events like parties, meetings, concerts, and dates.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Quote | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------| | 01:03 | Anabel’s introduction and topic setup | | 02:12 | Using “estar” for physical location | | 02:56 | Introducing “ser” for locating events | | 03:14 | Event example: “La reunión será en el despacho...” | | 03:36 | Event example: “La fiesta fue en el jardín de Clara.” | | 04:19 | Practice session setup | | 05:11 | Practice: “The book is on the table.” | | 05:46 | Practice: “The concert is in the central park.” | | 06:13 | Practice: “The date will be at a restaurant.” | | 06:40 | Rule summary & final encouragement |

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Final Note

Anabel closes with encouragement to practice, subscribe, and check out more resources for continued Spanish learning:

• “No te preocupes porque todo tendrá sentido. Don’t worry because all will make sense at the end of this episode.” (01:41)
• “Mucho ánimo y nos vemos en el próximo. Happy Coffee breaking.” (07:36)

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This episode is a concise and practical crash course on a nuanced rule in Spanish, perfect for all levels but especially helpful for beginners aiming to master when to use ‘ser’ or ‘estar’ for locations.

Transcript

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[Coffee Break Spanish Host (Anabel)]

Welcome to Coffee Break Spanish. Yo soy Annabel. My name is Anabel and I am very happy to be in this episode with you here at Coffee Break Spanish. We are enjoying working on our next podcast series for you, but in the meantime I hope you enjoy this mini lesson. If this happens to be the very first episode of Coffee Break Spanish you are listening to, you should know that you can go back and learn Spanish right from the beginning by ordering the podcast episodes from the oldest and starting with Coffee Break Spanish Season one. Perfecto. Now as this episode I am very excited because I'm bringing you a very nice topic. As you know, the verb to be can be a bit tricky in Spanish because we have two ser and estar. You may have learned that estar is used for location and you are correct. However, what if I tell you we use ser for location too? No te preocupes porque tendra sentido. Don't worry because all will make sense at the end of this episode. Then, as you may know, we use estar to locate people and things in the world. Por e genplo donde esta la biblioteca? Where is the library? In this sentence we are locating a thing. We are locating the library. Donde esta la biblioteca? Where is the library? So to locate a thing in this case it's a building. We use estar. Another example is Los documentos estavan en el cajon. The documents were in the drawer. Here again we locate a Thing Los documentos estavan. They were. The documents were. So with these two examples we can see that we use estar to locate. Then why am I saying that we also use ser for location. This is going to happen when we are locating an event. So if we have an event and it is not people or things, we are locating events in the world, then we are going to be using ser. Pero no te preocupes. Vamos aver algunos ejemplos. Don't worry, because we are going to see some examples. The first one is la reunion sera en el despaco del jefe. La reunion sera. Here we are using the verb ser because is la reunion the meeting. This is an event, so we must use ser for the location. La reunion sera en el despacho del jese. The meeting will be or will take place in the boss office. An event. So we must use ser. Another example is la fiesta fue en el jardin de clara. The first thing that we need to know about this is that fue is the preterite tense of the verb ser. So la fiesta fue en el jardin de clara means the party was in Clara's garden. La fiesta is the party and this is an event. So we must use ser. 10 Fiesta, Reunion, Boda, which is a wedding. All of them are events. And remember that if we want to locate an event, we must use ser. Perfecto. I love practicing. I think that's the best way to consolidate what we have learned. So I prepared a quick exercise for you. I'm going to say a sentence in English and I want you to decide if we are going to use estar or ser. If you feel confident, you can also translate the whole sentence. So pamos haya. The first one. The book is on the table. The book is on the table. Do we use ser or estar? A cies usamos estar. We have to use estar because we are locating. A libro esta sobre la mesa. The book is on the table using estar to locate. Thanks. Vamos a por elciende. The next one is the concert is in the central park. The concert is in the central park. Ser or estar effectivamente. The concert is an event, so it has to be ser. El concierto es en el parquecentral. The concert is in the central park. Fantastico. Let's do one more. This time the sentence the date will be at a restaurant. The date will be at a restaurant. Ser or estar buen trabajo. The date is an event so we are using ser La cita sera en un restaurante. The date will be at a restaurant. La cita sera Fantastico. Then remember, estar is used to locate people or things in the world and ser is used to locate events. Fantastico. Now don't forget to subscribe wherever you are listening to this episode for more content like this one. Also, 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 bueno, pues muches gracias por quedarte hasta el final mucho animo y nos vemos en el proximo. Happy Coffee breaking.

[Coffee Break Languages Narrator]

You have been listening to A Coffee Break Languages Production for the Radiolingua Network. Copyright 2025 Radiolingua Limited Recording Copyright 2025 Radiolingua Limited all rights reserved.

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