What is the difference between the Spanish verb Ser and the Spanish verb Estar???

Question

I am so confused! I'm supposed to be understanding this for a Spanish class, but I have no idea what he's talking about! Can someone please give me a middle-school level explanation on this??? Thanks!

Answer 1

They both mean "to be," but ser is a more permanent use of the word than estar.

Use ser to describe something that is an innate quality of the item you're describing... use estar to describe something that may change.

For example:

If you were saying someone IS a drunk (as in, an alcoholic, by nature) you'd use ser.

If you were saying someone happens to be drunk right now, you'd use estar.

Get it? I know it's confusing.... Here's another one:

Yo soy italiana. I am Italian. I will always be Italian. It's a permanent thing.

Estoy cansada. I am tired. I'm tired right now, but being tired is not part of who I am.

Answer 2

ser is more permanent

I am White, I am Black soy blanco/a, soy *****/a
I am from United States soy de los Estados Unidos

and for time
it's 12:00 son las doce (horas)

I am boring Soy aburrido/a



Estar is more for non-permanent stuff

I am in the office Estoy en la officina

I am bored Estoy aburrido


that's the best way I can explain, what I remember from Spanish 111.

Answer 3

Ser is a quality of a person. "Yo soy muy inteligente"--I am very intelligent--is a quality of the person.
"Ella es de Espana"--She is from Spain--is a quality that does not change.


Estar is a state of being. "Yo estoy muy cansada hoy"--I am very tired today--is something that happened today, so it is how you feel.
"Jose esta en la escuela ahora." Jose is in the school now, but he is not always in the school.

I hope that helps!