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A mnemonic to help remember the difference between the Spanish verbs ser and estar (both meaning "to be"); ser is generally used for: Descriptions, Occupations, Characteristics, Times, Origins, and Relationships. quotations examples
SER is used to classify or identify attributes like, description, occupation, characteristic, time, origin or relationship. The acronym D-O-C-T-O-R could be helpful to remember it.
2016 May, Edwin Alverio, ¡Manos a la Obra!, page 60
You can use the acronyms DOCTOR and PLACE to help you remember ser vs. estar, particularly for more specific cases when you’re not sure which verb to use.
2021 November 18, Lydia Schapiro, “Ser and Estar: Mastering Spanish Conjugations”, in My Private Professor
Let's look at DOCTOR and ser first. To recap, ser is used when discussing permanent states – about what something is – and this acronym is a useful trick to remind us what those permanent states are.
2023 November 21, Nadiia Mykhalevych, “Ser vs. estar: Understanding Spanish “to be” verbs”, in Preply Blog