What is the difference between ESTAR and SER is spanish?

Question

•When is Ser used?
•When is Estar used?
• Please provide one example for each.

Answer 1

Here is some information from two really good sites:

There are few things more confusing for beginning Spanish students, at least those who have English as their first language, than learning the differences between ser and estar. After all, they both mean "to be" in English.

And since both verbs are frequently used, they are as irregular as can be. Who would think that fue would be the third-person preterite of ser? (On the other hand, you've got to have sympathy with those learning English. Who would think "am," "is," "was," and "are" are all forms of "to be"?)

In this lesson, we'll concern ourselves only with the present tense. After all, by the time you're learning other tenses you'll have the two verbs mastered. They really aren't that difficult.

What you need to do is remember when learning a foreign language is that we don't translate words from one language to another, we translate meanings. And many of our English verbs, "to be" among them, have a multitude of meanings.

When I think of the differences between ser and estar, I like to think of ser as the passive verb and estar as the active one. (I'm not using the terms in a grammatical sense here.) Ser tells you what something is, the nature of its being, while estar refers more to what something does. I might use soy (the first-person present of ser) to tell you what I am, but I'd use estoy (the first-person present of estar) to tell you what I am being.

Now that's probably as clear as a politician's equivocation, but let me give you a few examples. I might say, "Estoy enfermo." That would tell you that I am being sick, that I am sick at the moment. But it doesn't tell you what I am. Now if I were to say, "Soy enfermo," that would have a different meaning entirely. That would refer to who I am, to the nature of my being. We might translate that as "I am a sick person" or "I am sickly."

Note similar differences in these examples:

* Estoy cansado, I am tired. Soy cansado, I am a tired person.
* Estoy feliz, I'm happy now. Soy feliz, I am happy by nature.
* Está callada, she's being quiet. Es callada, she's introverted.
* No soy listo, I'm not a quick thinker. Estoy listo, I'm ready.

One way of thinking about it is to think of ser as being roughly equivalent to "equals." Another way of thinking about it is that estar often refers to a temporary condition, while ser frequently refers to a permanent condition. But there are some exceptions.

Among the major exceptions to the above way of thinking is that ser is used in expressions of time, such as "Son las dos de la tarde" for "It's 2 p.m." Also, we use estar to indicate someone has died — quite a permanent condition: Está muerto, he is dead.

Along that line, estar is used to indicate location. Estoy en casa, I am at home. But, soy de México, I am from Mexico.

There are also a few idiomatic expressions that simply need to be learned, although that comes naturally with time: La manzana es verde, the apple is green. La manzana está verde, the apple is unripe. Está muy bien la comida, the meal tastes very good.

Note that sometimes estar is modified by an adverb such as bien rather than being followed by an adjective. Estoy bien, I'm fine.

As I mentioned earlier, both ser and estar are irregularly conjugated. Here's a chart of the present tense:

Pronombre Ser Estar
Yo soy estoy
Tú eres estás
Él, ella, usted es está
Nosotros somos estamos
Ellos, ellas, ustedes son están


Whole books have been written about the two important Spanish verbs: ser and estar. This will be the subject of our discussion for the next few lessons. Soon, you will have a very good understanding of how these two verbs are used.

Ser and estar can both be translated as "to be." Here is the English verb, fully conjugated:

to be

I am
you are
he/she is
we are
you-all are
they are

Notice that these two sentences can have different meanings in English.

The apple is green.
(Meaning the apple is not ripe.)

The apple is green.
(Meaning the color of the apple is green.)

In the first case, our example speaks of the condition of the apple. The apple is green because it has not yet ripened. When the condition of the apple changes, that is, when it has ripened, it will no longer be green, it will be ripe.

In the second case, our example speaks of the essential characteristics of the apple. The apple is green in color. This particular apple remains green even after it has ripened.

In English, the verb "to be" can be used to tell how something is (the condition) and what something is (the essence).

How is the apple?
It is unripe.

What color is the apple?
It is green.

In Spanish, a different verb is used to express "to be" depending on whether the speaker intends to address a condition or an essential quality.

La manzana está verde.
The apple is green. (condition)

La manzana es verde.
The apple is green. (essence)

Note how the adjective "verde" actually changes meaning, depending upon whether it is used with ser or estar.

La manzana está verde.
(condition: verde = unripe)

La manzana es verde.
(essential characteristic: verde = color green)

Answer 2

Ser And Estar Chart

Answer 3

I'm not too really good with Spanish but I think you use Ser when you follow up with a noun For example: John es medico and estar is used when it is followed up with an adjective for example John esta Frio.

P.S. sorry for the lack of accents

Answer 4

Now THIS is really hard to explain, but i'll try my best,

BOTH estar AND ser both be to be, but....

SER, is used when describing permanent characteristics, profession, nationality, where you are from etc.

Example: Soy de México/ Méjico : i am from mexico

ESTAR is used when describing position, or your temporary condition

Example: Estoy bien: i am good

Answer 5

i think ser is used when something is permanent. like your name, where you were born, your children, etc. I think estar is used when something is changeable. Like where you are going today, whether or not you are ready to go, etc. That's the way i remember it, but it has been awhile since i took spanish.
eg. Soy de San Diego (i am from san diego)
eg. Estoy a la playa (i am at the beach)

Answer 6

SER is the permanent form of 'to be'. If you are saying that you are permanently something, you should use SER. For example, 'Soy de Inglaterra', I am from England.

ESTAR is the non-permanent form of 'to be.' It is also used for locations, for example, 'Estoy en España,' I am in Spain.

Although sometimes that can be confusing, for example you can argue but you aren't necassarily permanently from a country, etc, but that's just the way the language is.

Hope that helps!

Answer 7

Estar
1. Temporary Description
2.Describe location

ex.
Estoy muy cansada?
Está aquí.

Ser
1. Origin
2. Time
3.Permanent Description

ex

1. Soy de los Estados Unidos.
2. Son las cinco y cuarto de la tarde.
3. Soy alta e inteligente

They both mean to be but uses in different situations.

Answer 8

ser is used to talk about permanent things such as

- possession
- the time
- occupation
- place of origin
- nationality
- religious affiliation

estar refers to temporary events such as:

- state or condition
- geographic or physical location

Answer 9

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