El problema es (SER)

La diferencia es...

In Spanish, the verb ser (to be) works slightly differently to how we would use it in English.

For example: La problema son dos cosas.

Erasmus: is there anybody out there?

New to Madrid? Just about to start your Erasmus term at one of Madrid’s many universities? This blog post is for you!

Preterite v. Imperfect

The problems caused by the preterite and imperfect tenses are certainly up there along with those of the subjunctive and ser and estar for us poor Spanish students. Like both of the above, it’s also something that unfortunately just requires lots of practice to master, but it’s always helpful to start out with a clear set of rules.

Silence! I'm working

Fed up of studying in your room? Fancy a new, interesting environment where you can get your head down and learn those stem-changing verbs? The Cervantes Institute could be just what you’re looking for! 

Spanishdict.com

Or saveme.com, as I sometimes like to refer to it. For those of us for whom English is our native language, I think Spanishdict is the most comprehensive online Spanish/English dictionary. 

El problema es (SER)

La diferencia es...
In Spanish, the verb ser (to be) works slightly differently to how we would use it in English.
For example: El problema son dos cosas.

In this sentence, the verb “to be” is in the 3rd person plural to agree with the 2 cosas, even though the noun is singular. This is because in Spanish ser agrees with what follows, whereas in English we would say “The difference is 2 things” or “2 things are the difference”.