From the mailbox (links added):
Could you possibly give me some idea about where and how to go about learning the verbs ser and estar? I believe that this is the reason I did not pass my class. I am really having a problem with the verb "to be." I got discouraged and stopped going to class and I received a F for a final grade but I am attempting to take the course again for spring 2011. I think that I should mention also that I am returning to school after some time (20 years). I have always wanted to learn Spanish and it really does seems like a foreign language to me :). I also read your article on these verbs and I am still confused.
Welcome to the club! You aren't the first Spanish student to be confused about ser and estar, and you won't be the last. But rest assured that as you learn the language, and especially once you can start thinking in Spanish, the differences between the two verbs will become intuitive.
I decided to answer your question here in the blog because I hope that others learning Spanish can share their insights. What works for me in understanding the two verbs may not work for you — but what works for someone else might.
The first thing I would suggest is to try to not think of ser and estar as translations for "to be" — instead, try to think about what they mean and/or how they function in a sentence.
That said, ser generally is used to indicate the essence, the inherent nature of what someone or something is. It's used to identify a thing or person, to describe its/his/her characteristics, to classify persons or things. Estar, on the other hand, can be thought of as more of an "action" verb, and it is used when talking about the conditions of things or persons rather than their characteristics. It is not used in classifying people or things, nor in defining.
One way of seeing the difference between the two verbs is to look at the meaning of two simple questions that differ only in which verb is used:
- ¡Cómo es tu madre? (What is your mother like?) In this question using a conjugated form of ser, the speaker is asking about your mother's characteristics — what kind of person she is, perhaps classifying information such as her age or occupation. The questioner isn't trying to find out information about her current condition, but rather who she is.
- ¡Cómo está tu madre? (How is your mother?) In this case, by using a conjugated form of estar, the speaker hopes to find out something about her condition, not what kind of person she is. For example, if your mother's health has been an issue, the questioner might want to know about that — and answers could be "está sana" (she's healthy) or "está enferma" (she's sick). Or perhaps she has been out of work, and if she now has job, "está empleada" (she's employed) would be an appropriate way of referring to her employment condition.
See how this pattern is followed in some other simple sentences:
- Soy enojada. (I am an angry person. It's the way I am. It's a characteristic of me.) Estoy enojada. (I'm angry. That's my current condition.)
- Soy gordo. (I am a fat person. Fat is what kind of person I am. Fatness is one of my characteristics.) Estoy gordo. (My current condition is being fat.)
- Soy aburrida. (I am boring. That's what kind of person I am.) Estoy aburrida. (I am bored. That's my current condition.)
- Soy profesor de matemáticas. (I am a math teacher. That's part of what I am, it's part of what defines and classifies me.) Estoy de profesor de matemáticas. (I teach mathematics. A math teacher isn't necessarily what I am, but teaching math is something I'm doing.)
This brief answer can't get into all the differences between ser and estar, and I've barely gotten into the different ways they are used in sentences. But I hope this shows you a bit about how Spanish speakers have a different understanding of the two verbs, and how the choice of verb affects how they interpret a sentence.
Comments
That did clear it up for me a little better. I will continue to read your article and blog and hope to learn this language to the best of my abiltiy.
Gracias
Another way to remember the distinction between ser and estar is to compare the Latin roots: Ser is from Essere: Essence; estar is from Estare: State…Buena Suerte!
Lori,
Let me applaud you for not giving up: learning is life-ong and can be fun.
Both Eric and Sharon provided great insight.
I do not know how much you learned from your first attempt, so if what I’ll be saying is too simple for you and not having the accent mark, forgive me.
I’ll begin with uses that are definitely ’ser’ or ‘estar’.
Use ’ser’ when the verb links the subject to a predicate noun or noun phrase. Always.
Pronoun and word-phrase functioning as substantive works. Eg. Josefa es maestra. Este es la mesa.
Mathematical identity: Dos más dos son cuatro. Two plus two is four.
Passive voice: ser+participle+por
Las montanas son admiradas por los estudiantes. The mountains are admired by the students.
Possession: El libro es de Juan. The book is Juan’s.
ESTAR:
Geographical location.
Madrid esta en Espana. Madrid is in Spain.
Present progressive tense
Estaban echado en la iglesia. They’ve been kneeling in church.
Now, when the predicate is an adjective or adjectival phrase, the choice depends upon ‘what/who is’ and ‘where/how/when is’, whether it is ‘essence/nature/permanence’ or ’state/condition/temporary’ etc and can be confusing.
Ex. Eres guapa, sincero, catolica, abugada y alta. You are good-looking, sincere, Catholic, lawyer and tall (physical characterics, personality, religion, profession etc). These identify you.
Ex. Estoy enferma, delgada, tonta y embrazada. I am sick, thin, silly(nuts) and pregnant. These conditions are temporary. I’ll get well, fatten up, wise up, and have the baby.
Now, somethings that may seem permanent are temporary, some may be both.
Why is “La pajaro esta muerto”?
This and other ambiguity like it may be forthcoming.
Remember, I’m just trying to help and am not perfect.
Yeah, the use of estar with muerto is a bit confusing.
Another one is the use of ser when referring to locations of events: La boda es en la playa. (The wedding is on the beach.) I’m not sure of the reason for why that is, except that maybe it’s thought of as a way of classifying or defining rather than locational.
Lori:
Here’s why estar is used with morir.
Being dead or alive is of long duration. Death is so final that one would think it requires ’ser’ as the auxiliary verb in the phrase ‘auxiliary verb + muerto/vivo’. Or so it seems.
My research came up with 3 reasons.
First, culturally, Spanish people consider dead-or-alive as a state of being.
Second, according to A. Wildermuth of University of Texas, Austin, the idea is that ‘muerto’ is a change of state from ‘vivo’ in a person relative to himself, as opposed to other people. He was alive but now dead.
Third, grammatically, ’ser’ cannot be used as auxiliary with intransitive verb (A Spanish Grammar, A. Coester) as ‘morir/vivir’ is being used here. The transitive ‘morir’ meaning ‘matar: to kill’ is used rarely (RAE); transitive ‘vivir’ means to live through/experience an impression given, such as ‘to experience someone’s joys and tears’ (RAE, vivir: entry 12). Anyhow, these are not how we’re using these words here
Additionally, if ’ser’ is used, the sentence may look like it’s in passive voice (not what we intended).
Now, forgive my impudence for what I’ll say next because I have only an etic perspective of Spanish culture.
After Isabella/Ferdinand ascended the Spanish throne, religion and politics became inseparable (maybe, even before them). Christianity thinks of life/death as states of being (albeit transitional). But religious and political affiliations are in man’s nature; hence ’ser’ is used. E.g. ‘Soy Catolico. Ella era comunista.’
Next time I’ll try to explain the nuances when we use both ’ser/estar’ in almost the same breath.
I hope this helps.
Lori,
SG articles are helpful.
Ser/estar ollowed by adjectives becomes confusing.
Remember, SER + ADJECTIVE (absolute).
ESTAR + ADJECTIVE (relative).
Two mnemonics.They’re not all-inclusive just to pass the course. Cliff notes has too.
PRECINTO (seal): ’ser’.
Remember ’ser’ describes what is, who is: nothing superficial.
Examples:
Profession:
Luis es maestro. Luis is a teacher.
Relationships: Pepe es casado/soltero/divorciado. Pepe is a married/single(bachelor)/divorced person.
Events: Some authorities consider this an exception to the ‘location’ rule. My opinion: events has an intrinsic duration.
examples.
La reunion es en la palacio. The meeting is in the palace.
La ceremonia es en la iglesia. The ceremony (ex. boda) is in the church.
Characteristics/Constituent (physical,personality,makeup):
La estatua es feo, blanca y de madera. The statue is ugly, white and made of wood.
Impersonal expressions.
Es importante practicar. It’s important to practice.
Nationality: You’re born one and if changed, tends to be permanent, identifies you.
Soy chino/ingles/pilipino. I am Chines/English/Pilipino.
Time expressions: Ser preferred.
Ya son las cuatro de tarde. It’s now 4:00PM.
Origin/Ownership:
Estos vestidas son de frances. These clothes are French.
La mesa es de Juan. The table is Juan’s.
THESE SAID ABOUT SER, ESTAR MAY E USED. THE SAME CAN BE SAID OF ESTAR.
TALE (mnemonic) estar:
…
CONFOUNDING estar/ser usage:
Contrast :
What day is it?
A cuanto estuve hoy? Que dia fue ayer?
Juan is divorced.
Juan esta divorciado Juan es divorciado.
Luis is a teacher.
Luis esta de maestro. Luis es maestro.
Forgive me for omitting the accent
Lori,
Please note:
Estar progressive covers all tenses, not just Present-progressive. Spanish progressives are not as frequent as in English.
Ser: used in passive voice is the ‘actional’ use (S.Hill/W.Bradford) as opposed to ‘reflexive’ which has a passive aspect (Ex. “Se habla catalan.”) and the “Estar Passive” which expresses the condition resulting from the verb’s action.
Estar’s mnemonic is now PLATA(silver;money:S.Am):
Passive: La solucion esta propuesto. The solution is proposed.
Location: discussed before.
Auxiliary progressive: Los novios estaban emergiendo del teatro.
Temporary Condition: Estoy cansado. I’m tired.
with Adverbs: Esta lejos (adverb) Vs. Es lejano (distant: adjective).
In summary, Ser and estar have mutually exclusive uses except when 1) the EVENT is emphasized instead of the location it’s happening and 2) when predicate adjectives are involved.
As linking verbs:
ser ascribes qualities permanent to its complement whereas estar ascribes temporary traits.
As auxiliary verbs:
ser imparts an on-going (durative/imperfective) quality denoted by the verb to its subject;
whereas estar imparts the “resulting condition” on its subject by the verb; thus the verb is perfected (as the result from the verb’s action is by then known).
Further, Estar + gerund forms the progressive tenses.
Should you have problems interpreting the ser/estar + predicate adjective, ask.
SG is willingly helpful, always. I hope this helps; like you, I’m just a student. Good luck!