Coffee Break Spanish - Words that change meaning with ‘ser’ and ‘estar’ | The Coffee Break Spanish Show 1.08

Episode Date: December 7, 2023

Did you know that there are some adjectives that have a different meaning depending on whether they are used with ser or estar? That is the topic that Mark and Concha are tackling in this episode of the Coffee Break Show! This is the second part of a double episode all about these two verbs, and in our previous episode we discussed how and when to use ser and estar in Spanish. If you haven’t already watched that episode then be sure to catch up on episode 7 before this one!➡️ Click to access the blog article and worksheet which accompany this episode ⬅️Like the look of the Coffee Break mugs featured in our episodes? Purchase your very own mug here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Coffee Brick Spanish Welcome back to the Coffee Brick Spanish show I'm Mark And I'm Mark I'm very good and you, how are you? Very well, I'm very well, I'm pretty Very content of being We're talking about

Start, but we're also talking about Sir again today aren't we? Yes, exactly In another one of our weekly episodes when we help you improve your Spanish one coffee brick at a time Talking of which If you would like one of these beautiful

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Yes, yes. Now, we are talking about set and estada, as we've already mentioned today. we're taking it further from last episode and talking about the exceptions to the rule or where it changes meaning depending on which verb we use. Exactly. Let's start. Empecemos. So as we've said, ser and de start both mean to be, but they can sometimes both be used in a sentence, but it might change the meaning of the sentence in English. Yeah, exactly. Sometimes it changes, sometimes it doesn't.

So remember that in the previous episode, we talked about ideas. identity for ser and circumstance with start. So I'll give you an example when the meaning of the adjective that follows doesn't change. Okay. So if I say, Soi soltera, I'm single. That, okay, that means I'm single. Yeah. But I can also say, I'm soltera.

Yeah. And that also means I'm single. Yeah. But they were talking about, again, the identity versus the circumstance. So if you say soi soltera or soi soltero, it means you identify as a single person. Whereas if you say, I'm sorry Soltera or Soltero, then it means that at the moment you're single, you don't have a partner, and that's the circumstance in a sense.

Exactly. That's my temporary circumstance. So that's why I am deciding to use Estar. Perfecto. Okay. But they do sometimes change meaning, don't they? Yes, yes. So that's what we are going to be looking at today.

So different, the most common words, when if they go with ser, they mean something. if they go with start, they mean something else. Okay, and for each word here, we're going to go through a list of adjectives, and for each word, we'll give you some example sentences where you can hear both the meaning with said and the meaning with start.

Exactly. Shall we make a start with aberto? We're going to be able. So, aberto. Ser abjerto is not the same as being ableerto. So if I say, My father is very abjerto. You can talk with all type of persons.

So in that case, my father is very open, he's a very open person. He can speak with lots of types of people. Exactly. So I'm talking about a personality trait. So I'm taking that as part of his identity as a person. Sometimes it helps. If you can take the English adjective and put it into the sentence,

he or she is a very blank person, then it inherently means that you're talking about someone's identity and their characteristics as a person, their personality treat, as I just said. So there, my father is very abjerto, can't talk with all the type of people, but also

we can talk about abjerto with start. That's it. For example, the tienda is able to last 11th. So there, in a sense, the usual meaning of open,

of the abjerto, the tienda is abjerta until 11. This shop is open until 11. Exactly. Okay. Let's take another adjective.

Okay, well, then we're Listo or Lista. So Listo can have two meanings depending on whether we're using CER and de start. Let's hear an example

with CER. So if I say, it's very lista and for so we are talking about a person who is very smart and that is why

they learn so quickly or that's why she learns so quickly because we use the feminine form of the adjective. So is very Lista.

So is very clever. And for that reason, she learns very quickly. So that's listo or lista with ser. But when we use listo or lista with estar, it changes drastically. Exactly. So I can say in five minutes, estare lista.

And that means in five minutes, I will be ready. Ready. Okay, so you're not going to be clever in five minutes. No, no clever than just now, at least. Well, it depends. if you're listening to Coffee Rake Spanish, then maybe you'll get a little bit more clever.

Definitely. But yeah, that means you're going to be ready. Estere list or lista in your case. So in 5 minutes, Estere list or lista. I will be ready. Exactly. So ser listo means to be clever or to be smart

and start list or list to be ready. Perfect. Let's look at ser clear and be clear. Ah, very interesting. Yes. I'm going to give you an example I'm going to give you an example I'm going to give you an example

I'm very well with the rest of the moveles so I like that the couch is light of a light color let's say because it goes well with the rest of the furniture it goes yeah

it's very well with the rest of the moveles so in this case we are talking about the color or the shade of color exactly of something so me gusta that the sofa is clear I like that the sofa is light.

I like it that the sofa is light. It goes very well with the rest of the furniture. That's, yes. But we can also use Claro with Estab. Exactly. And it has other significat completely different. So... That's.

So if we look at an example, no entendia the difference, but now it's clear. So I didn't understand the difference, but now it is clear. Exactly. Not light, not light colors, but clear. Clear, clear, clear.

That's so is. And we're using Clara here because we're talking about the difference. Yes, feminine. Perfect. Okay. Shall we move on to another word, another adjective? Yes. What do you think?

What we're saying? Me, it's a good idea? Ah, perfect. Well, well, well, well, well, this example is, this ordenadour is very good. It has five years and even function a perfectly. So this computer is very good.

It's five years old and it still works perfectly. Exactly. So we are talking about the quality of the computer is very good. Yeah. But when we use Bueno or Buena with Estar, it takes on, it's used a very specific circumstance for talking about food and it takes on a different meaning.

So for example, if we talk about this paella, is very good. Who has done? So this paella is really good. it's really tasty. Quen la Echo, who made it. Exactly.

So it's more related to the taste to how rich the food is. And just to be clear that Kien la eto. There's three words in there La Echo, who it has made. Aha, exactly. So who it's la is related to paella.

That's what we're using the singular word. And this is a pronoun. So it's substituting to not repeat paella all the time. Exactly. Okay. Now if we've talked about Bueno, then we should also talk about Malo

because that also can change his meaning. That's, yes, si. So if we use Malo with Ser, let's look at an example. Espero que el time manna no sea nice example with a lovely subjunct of Scuza. I hope that the temperature tomorrow isn't bad.

Exactly. So the first meaning that comes to mind when you say it's bad. Something is bad. but if we use malo or mala with a star the meaning

changes again so this manzana is a mala no sa be not bad that would mean that the apple

this apple tastes a little strange it has a strange taste like it's gone bad it's gone bad yeah

it's gone off or something like that so this manzana this apple is mala it is bad but it's gone bad it's gone off

no save nothing yeah And that savi is an interesting verb. It's not from the verb saver meaning to know. No, it's from the verb saver meaning to taste. Yeah, so two verbs meaning, or two verbs, which both are saver, but they have two different meanings.

Yes, exactly. No save nada bien. It doesn't taste nice at all. That's, okay. I think we've got time for one more. And what we're going to do is one that I've come across many times and it is reservado. Because I think this is something. something we see when we're out and about.

We might be seeing a seat or a place in somewhere where it's reserved. Yes. But it's got different meaning when we're talking about people. Yes, exactly. So when we talk about people, we use the verb ser. So for example, we could say, Luis is very reserved. Nunca noz quanta nada. Yeah.

So that means that Luis is reserved. So he's a shy, a reserved person. Nunca no's quinta nada. He never tells us anything. Yeah. Okay. But if we're talking about a table in a restaurant, for example, we could say, Lo Siento, signora, if you go up to the waiter or the waitress looking for a table,

and you might hear, lo siento seora, this mesa, is that reserved. You can sit in this other one. Exactly. So if you go to a restaurant in a Spanish-speaking country, you would say, This mesa is this table reserved? You're not describing the inherent characteristics of the table. table. It's not a personality trait of the table. No. No, no. The table is not shy. Exactly. And interestingly, in English, we've got that word reserved, which we can use in both

senses, so we can describe a person as being reserved and a table as being reserved. But when you're remembering which one to use there, remember to use the correct verb to describe the kind of reservedness that you're talking about. That's all we've got time for in this episode talking about these words. And it's not an exhaustive list. There are on. words and we've included a few of them in the blog article but I'll tell you about that in just a moment. Perfecto. So as I said, we have got a blog article which will help you take this a little further and see a few more examples of words which change their meaning depending on whether they're using istar or ser. And we've included the link for that article in the description of this

podcast episode. So we hope you have enjoyed this lesson. If you want a little bit more help with your Spanish, you can sign up for our free email lessons. So just visit coffeebreaklanguages.com slash Spanish. And yeah, just look out for the next mini lesson in your invoits. In your inbox you'll find lessons about grammar, about vocabulary,

about expressions, about cultural aspects of Spanish. Lots of different things. Yeah. And we hope that you enjoy that. But of course, remember to sign up for that. Well, that's all for today. Well, yes. That is all for today. Much thanks, Mark.

Thank you. And thanks a to us yourselves. And happy coffee breaking. You have been listening to

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