The difference between Ser and Estar
They both mean “to be” in English, so this is why you need to know the uses of Ser v Estar. The summary of the uses are:
Ser
- Identity (Yo soy Mara)
- Origin (Yo soy de Argentina)
- Profession (Yo soy doctora)
- Possession (La casa es de María)
- Time (Es la una, son las dos, tres, etc)
- Where things takes place
Estar
- Location
- Status (Yo estoy soltera, casada, divorciada)
- Any State (Estoy muerta, viva) (I am alive, or dead)
- State of doing (estoy comiendo, trabajando, etc)
- State of mind, mood (estoy de buen humor, estoy bien, cansada)
- State of health (Estoy enferma, estoy con gripe, etc)
Ser (Permanent) and Estar (temporal)
When we talk about “ser” we use permanent personal traits or characteristics: For example:
- Yo soy organizada (I am well organized)
When we use “estar” we use temporal personal traits or characteristics: For example:
- Yo estoy organizada (I am well organized today)
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This is the video explanation:
