Ser More Than a Verb for "To Be"
Sunday January 4, 2009
Just because ser and estar are usually translated as "to be" doesn't mean that they're very much alike. To the native Spanish speaker, they're neither confused nor interchangeable (except for a few rare exceptions). So rather than thinking of ser merely as a verb for "to be," think of it as the verb that refers to the nature of a person or thing, or the verb that is used to indicate time or equivalence. Our recently expanded lesson on ser also explains other common uses.
Comments
I think that the example
Es sorprendente que no puedes hacerlo.
should be
Es sorprendente que no puedas hacerlo.
Or am I wrong?
I mentioned the uses of “ser” and “estar” in one of my blog posts here.
Brandon Simpson
Carsten, you’re correct. The subjunctive should normally be used after que following an emotional reaction.