What is thedifference between SER and ESTAR

Answer 1

In addition to my colleagues' explanations, I would like to point out that choosing the wrong Spanish verb for "to be" (OR "am," "is," "are" as conjugations) can result in saying something unintended! See the examples below and note that the yellow statements/questions result from use of SER conjugations and the blue statements/questions result from ESTAR conjugations.

Es aburrido	He is boring	Está aburrido	He is bored
Es lista	She is clever/sharp	Está lista	She is ready
¿Eres seguro?	Are you safe?	¿Estás seguro?	Are you sure?
¿Es loco?	Is he scatter-brained?	¿Está loco?	Is he insane?
Es bonita.	She is pretty.	Está bonita.	She looks pretty.
Es gordo.	He is fat.	Está gordo.	He looks fat.
Eres viva.	You are lively.	Estás viva.	You are alive.

Answer 2

As my colleagues have said in previous posts, "ser" and "estar" are both forms of the verb "to be". These verbs are influenced in some ways by time (hours or verb tenses), location, and permanence. The difference is that "ser" can be used to describe people and things in terms of their permanent qualities and by using adjectives that qualify and quantify the noun. For example, if you are describing a flower as a red rose, you would say "La flor es una rosa roja". In this case "es" is a form of "ser". Notice it is placed after the noun you are describing (flor) and before the quantity and adjective (una rosa roja). Since the noun is not an object that is interchangeable, meaning it is a flower and it will always be a flower, then we use the "ser" form.

On the other hand, if you are describing qualities that are conditional, conjugating a verb in the progressive tense (-ing endings, raining, running, etc.), or talking about location, then you would use the "estar" form of the verb "to be". For example, "I am writing a letter. It is raining outside, so I am home." In Spanish you would say "Estoy escribiendo una carta. Esta lloviendo afuera, entonces estoy en casa".

Although it sounds confusing at first, keeping in mind the concept of permanence and lots of practice helps in deciding when to use "ser" or "estar". I usually recommend that my students listen to or watch Spanish TV to get used to the conversational ways verbs can be used. Also, increase reading in your target language to be more familiar with the grammatical forms of the verbs.

Hope this helps! Buena suerte!

Answer 3

"Ser" and "Estar" are the two "Be" verbs in Spanish. In English, I say "I am a teacher," and "I am in the USA." However, in Spanish I say "Yo soy un maestro," and "Yo estoy en los Estados Unidos." Soy and Estoy are the Ser/Estar verbs conjugated for "Yo/I." As Mr. Duilio said, the two verbs are used for different purposes based on what you want to communicate. The simplest distinction can be made between Ser for permanent qualities like my occupation, and Estar for temporary qualities such as location.

That being said, Ser and Estar are usually rather challenging concepts for learners, and they are extremely common and important in the Spanish language. Buena Suerte en su aprendizaje de Español.

Answer 4

The main difference between ser and estar is that ser refers to more permanent traits of someone or something, while estar refers to transient conditions.

For example:

Yo soy un buen profesor. Estoy escribiendo usando mi computadora.

Tu eres muy inteligente. Estas viviendo en Inglaterra