DOCTOR

See also: doctor and Doctor

English

Etymology

A backronym from the word doctor.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈdɒktə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈdɑktɚ/
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈdɔktə/, /ˈdɒktə/

Phrase

DOCTOR

1. 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.
   • 2016 May, Edwin Alverio, ¡Manos a la Obra!, page 60:

     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.

   • 2021 November 18, Lydia Schapiro, “Ser and Estar: Mastering Spanish Conjugations”, in My Private Professor:

     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.

   • 2023 November 21, Nadiia Mykhalevych, “Ser vs. estar: Understanding Spanish “to be” verbs”, in Preply Blog:

     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.