3 Ways of Using SER + DE in Spanish

3 Usos de SER + DE en español

¡Hola! Welcome to Hola Spanish. It’s Romina Romaniello here, your Spanish teacher.

Today I’d like to teach you 3 ways in which you can use the combination of the verb SER and the preposition DE.

The verb SER is probably the very first Spanish verb you learnt. In English, depending on the context, it is most of the times translated as to be. DE is one of the most used prepositions in Spanish and it is equivalent to from, of, by and out of.

Now, what happens when they combine? SER and DE team up quite often in Spanish. In today’s lesson, I’ll show you three meanings you can convey with these two elements you already know so well!

1. Origin or nationality

You can use SER + DE for answering the question: where is this person from? Let’s see this with an example:

Frida Kahlo es de México = Frida Kahlo is from México

Notice that in this particular context de is translated as from in English. Although in the title I said that we use it for nationality, it is not limited only to it. You can also use it for continents, provinces, cities or neighbourhoods… Any place really!

Mi mamá es de un pueblo al norte de España = My mum is from a town located in the north of Spain

Objects, on the other hand, don’t have a nationality as such. In Spanish we’re referring to the place where that particular object was made, or were it was taken from:

La cafetera es de Italia = The coffee maker is from Italy

La cafetera es de la casa de mis vecinos = The coffee is from my neighbours’ house 

In the first example, the coffee maker was made in Italy, while in the second one it was just borrowed (or stolen) from the neighbours and we’re just focusing on where it was taken from. Unless, of course, your neighbours happen to design and assemble coffee makers in their garage.

2. Material

Now, do you want to tell us what your coffee maker is made of? No problem! Just use the same structure:

La cafetera es de aluminio = The coffee maker is made of aluminium

In regards to people, we’ve some pretty cool expressions in Spanish using SER + DE. Here you have my personal favourites:

No soy de piedra = I’m not made of ice (Literal translation: I’m not of stone)

Las personas somos de carne y hueso = People are made of flesh and bones (Literal translation: of meat and bone)

Patricia baila mal. Es de madera = Patricia is a bad dancer. She has two left feet (Literal translation: made of wood). 

3. Belonging

The last use I’d like to teach you today is ‘pertenencia’, belonging. SER + DE shows a relationship of belonging between one thing and another. In English you add an apostrophe and an S to the noun.

Es el auto de Juan = It is John’s car

Javier es el amigo de mi hermana = Javier is my sister’s friend

Do you have any questions about these uses of the verb SER + the preposition DE? Please let me know in the comments below.

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I’ll see you next week on your Hola Tuesday lesson! ¡Adiós! ¡Hasta la próxima clase!