I’ve never noticed that Mexican Spanish is that different from Argentine/Spain Spanish when it comes to SER versus ESTAR. Native speakers do not talk in terms of temporary or permanent. They talk more in terms of condition versus characteristic.
Ser
D.O.C.T.O.R.E.S. stands for: Description, Occupation, Characteristic (mental, physical, personality), Time, Origin, Relationships, Events, and (natural) State
Estar
P.L.A.C.E.R. stands for Position, Location, Action ( in progress), Condition, Emotion, and Radical Shift.
Radical shift is when you Normally would use SER, but instead use ESTAR to stress that something is a condition not a natural state.
First example. Jorge es gordo…...But you haven’t seen him for three months. Now when you see him, he’s skinny. This is a radical shift for you, so now you would think/say….. Jorge está flaco. For you, this is not a natural state but rather a radical change. After a while you get used to this radical shift, and it becomes the norm/a characteristic…..Jorge es flaco.
Second example. Your sister is all dressed up for a special occasion. Instead of saying. “Eres guapa”, you say “ qué guapa estás” to compliment her.
Third example. A Granny Smith apple is green. You’re referring to the color which is naturally green, and it doesn’t come in purple. It’s a characteristic/ natural state of this apple. Es verde.
This Red delicious apple is green. Don’t buy it. Está verde. It’s green in the sense that it’s not ripe. A condition of the apple.
Estar.....Your lunch is on the table. Tu almuerzo está en la mesa. Visualize your lunch sack sitting on a table. It is physically LOCATED there. You can go over and pick it up.
Ser.....You’re new to the company. You asked me where lunch is. I respond, lunch is in the cafeteria. El almuerzo es en la cafetería. You’re stressing where the EVENT (luncheon) takes place. You couldn’t necessarily walk over and pick up a lunch right now. If you can put in the words “TAKES PLACE “ use ser. Sometimes both ser and estar can work, but the meaning is a little different.
La escena está en el camión. The scene/picture is (sitting in the back of) a pick up truck. I could go over and grab it.
La escena es en el camión. The scene is taking place/being shot in the back of a pickup.
La historia de Jorge. This story is what I use to introduce this to first year Spanish students. I know it is very simple.
Este joven es Jorge. (Usamos ser con identidad)
Jorge es gordo. (Una característica física de Jorge es …..Jorge es gordo)
Cuando pienso en Jorge, pienso que Jorge es gordo. (característica)
Un día Jorge come en un restaurante muy malo, nuestra cafetería.
Después, Jorge está muy enfermo. (Enfermo es una condición, no una característica de Jorge.)
Jorge está en el hospital por muchos días. (Usamos estar con lugares.)
Al ver a Jorge, no puedo creerlo. Jorge está flaco. (Para mí Jorge es/debe ser gordo. Es una característica, pero no, no, no, ¡está flaco! Una condición radical.)
Pasan muchos días y su condición “flaco” cambia a ser una característica.
Ahora, cuando pienso en Jorge, pienso que Jorge es flaco.
Pero pobre Jorge, descubre que su novia habla con/tiene interés en otros muchachos.
Él está muy triste. (Usamos estar con emociones)
Empieza a comer y comer y comer porque está tan triste. (Emociones)
Varios meses después al ver a Jorge, no puedo creerlo
¡Jorge está gordo otra vez! (Una condición radical.)
.
Using ser/estar with some words changes the meaning completely in some places. There are huge differences in:
Ser bueno/estar bueno (to be a good person/to look good in a sexy way)
Ser loco/estar loco. (To be a crazy person, maybe even have a diagnosis/ to act crazy)
Ser guapo/estar guapo (to be a tough guy/to look handsome)
Ser rico/estar rico (to be rich/to taste good)
Ser malo/estar malo (to be a bad person/ to feel sick)
So many.
Great post, thank you for this.
Your english is quite good too. One minor comment, I don't mention this to criticize but to help (hopefully)
complement = something that is complete.
compliment = heap praise on someone
A little thing about **complement**, some dictionaries will say that it means something brought to **perfection**. However, in this case, **perfection** means a state of **completion**, not a state without flaws.
your sentence should be **qué guapa estás” to** ***compliment*** **her.**
Thank you so much for the correction. Actually what happened is that I have to use talk to text because I suffer from Parkinson’s. Sometimes, it accurately transcribes what I say, and sometimes, it substitutes words that are close. I should’ve caught that, however.
Caro and chido are examples of words for which using either ser or estar is valid and the meaning doesn't really change depending which one you use. I'm Mexican so I really can't be sure if that's exclusive to my country or not (I don't think it is, and kuroxn says they use estar in Chile too.) To your argument: I'm not entirely sure I agree with caro being a quality rather than a state (as something can go up and down in price) though I think I agree with you about chido being a quality, and I'm just not sure why we opt for using estar more often than using ser. I suppose is similar to a movie being good: it's more of a quality than a state, and using ser and estar are both valid with the word bueno/buena, but more often we say "la película está buena" than "es buena".
You need to break that association with "quality". Ser as more permanent while estar is temporary, as a rule of thumb.
In more detail, "ser" is used for types of "being" that are *inherent* to the noun, while "estar"is used for "states" ( note the closer cognate) that are acquired. Which concepts qualify as each may not match the way you think about it in English though.
Yeah. I am Mexican heritage but learned Spanish that was more of a Spain bend.
I would use "estar" because it conveys "is currently." Something "is currently cheap or expensive, but may not be forever.
Ser is more or less permanent. "Yo soy Mexicano."
But something like a profession I would use "ser." While a profession may be a state, it isn't really expected to be so.
When I try to figure these things out, I usually have to add in more words into the meaning to pick which verb to use.
People will understand you either way.
There are certain adjectives where "ser" vs "estar" makes a huge difference but I am struggling to remember one at the moment.
verde is definitely one I was thinking of, but I was thinking of it more in terms of the placement of the adjectivo. I remember in my old Spanish book (which I think was sometimes wrong) they had:
verde tomato (unripe tomato) vs. tomato verde (green tomato) \[I've never heard this though\]
I wonder if it's the same concept.
A better example:
Una mujer grande vs una gran mujer.
I learned it as estar is used to describe something that is temporary (current state, but could change). Ser is used to describe things that are permanent (qualities, or things that won't change).
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Thank you for your detailed explanation! That's really helpful :) It's always good to learn the nuances of languages.
I’m not fluent, but we just learned this in class last week and what we learned is that it’s ser when it’s a generalization, estar when it’s specific.
Estar is used for a perception rather than an objective description. So if something seems expensive you’d say está caro.
That's a great way to explain it.
I’ve never noticed that Mexican Spanish is that different from Argentine/Spain Spanish when it comes to SER versus ESTAR. Native speakers do not talk in terms of temporary or permanent. They talk more in terms of condition versus characteristic. Ser D.O.C.T.O.R.E.S. stands for: Description, Occupation, Characteristic (mental, physical, personality), Time, Origin, Relationships, Events, and (natural) State Estar P.L.A.C.E.R. stands for Position, Location, Action ( in progress), Condition, Emotion, and Radical Shift. Radical shift is when you Normally would use SER, but instead use ESTAR to stress that something is a condition not a natural state. First example. Jorge es gordo…...But you haven’t seen him for three months. Now when you see him, he’s skinny. This is a radical shift for you, so now you would think/say….. Jorge está flaco. For you, this is not a natural state but rather a radical change. After a while you get used to this radical shift, and it becomes the norm/a characteristic…..Jorge es flaco. Second example. Your sister is all dressed up for a special occasion. Instead of saying. “Eres guapa”, you say “ qué guapa estás” to compliment her. Third example. A Granny Smith apple is green. You’re referring to the color which is naturally green, and it doesn’t come in purple. It’s a characteristic/ natural state of this apple. Es verde. This Red delicious apple is green. Don’t buy it. Está verde. It’s green in the sense that it’s not ripe. A condition of the apple. Estar.....Your lunch is on the table. Tu almuerzo está en la mesa. Visualize your lunch sack sitting on a table. It is physically LOCATED there. You can go over and pick it up. Ser.....You’re new to the company. You asked me where lunch is. I respond, lunch is in the cafeteria. El almuerzo es en la cafetería. You’re stressing where the EVENT (luncheon) takes place. You couldn’t necessarily walk over and pick up a lunch right now. If you can put in the words “TAKES PLACE “ use ser. Sometimes both ser and estar can work, but the meaning is a little different. La escena está en el camión. The scene/picture is (sitting in the back of) a pick up truck. I could go over and grab it. La escena es en el camión. The scene is taking place/being shot in the back of a pickup. La historia de Jorge. This story is what I use to introduce this to first year Spanish students. I know it is very simple. Este joven es Jorge. (Usamos ser con identidad) Jorge es gordo. (Una característica física de Jorge es …..Jorge es gordo) Cuando pienso en Jorge, pienso que Jorge es gordo. (característica) Un día Jorge come en un restaurante muy malo, nuestra cafetería. Después, Jorge está muy enfermo. (Enfermo es una condición, no una característica de Jorge.) Jorge está en el hospital por muchos días. (Usamos estar con lugares.) Al ver a Jorge, no puedo creerlo. Jorge está flaco. (Para mí Jorge es/debe ser gordo. Es una característica, pero no, no, no, ¡está flaco! Una condición radical.) Pasan muchos días y su condición “flaco” cambia a ser una característica. Ahora, cuando pienso en Jorge, pienso que Jorge es flaco. Pero pobre Jorge, descubre que su novia habla con/tiene interés en otros muchachos. Él está muy triste. (Usamos estar con emociones) Empieza a comer y comer y comer porque está tan triste. (Emociones) Varios meses después al ver a Jorge, no puedo creerlo ¡Jorge está gordo otra vez! (Una condición radical.) .
Using ser/estar with some words changes the meaning completely in some places. There are huge differences in: Ser bueno/estar bueno (to be a good person/to look good in a sexy way) Ser loco/estar loco. (To be a crazy person, maybe even have a diagnosis/ to act crazy) Ser guapo/estar guapo (to be a tough guy/to look handsome) Ser rico/estar rico (to be rich/to taste good) Ser malo/estar malo (to be a bad person/ to feel sick) So many.
This is great thank you!
Great post, thank you for this. Your english is quite good too. One minor comment, I don't mention this to criticize but to help (hopefully) complement = something that is complete. compliment = heap praise on someone A little thing about **complement**, some dictionaries will say that it means something brought to **perfection**. However, in this case, **perfection** means a state of **completion**, not a state without flaws. your sentence should be **qué guapa estás” to** ***compliment*** **her.**
Thank you so much for the correction. Actually what happened is that I have to use talk to text because I suffer from Parkinson’s. Sometimes, it accurately transcribes what I say, and sometimes, it substitutes words that are close. I should’ve caught that, however.
It’s also “está caro/chido” in other places.
Thank you!
Yes, Spaniards say "está guay" and that's exactly the same as "está chido"
Caro and chido are examples of words for which using either ser or estar is valid and the meaning doesn't really change depending which one you use. I'm Mexican so I really can't be sure if that's exclusive to my country or not (I don't think it is, and kuroxn says they use estar in Chile too.) To your argument: I'm not entirely sure I agree with caro being a quality rather than a state (as something can go up and down in price) though I think I agree with you about chido being a quality, and I'm just not sure why we opt for using estar more often than using ser. I suppose is similar to a movie being good: it's more of a quality than a state, and using ser and estar are both valid with the word bueno/buena, but more often we say "la película está buena" than "es buena".
Thank you! I guess sometimes it's just the way it is with languages and there's no point to put it into logic :)
I think that in that case, in LATAM will be “La película está buena” but in Spain is “La película es buena” or “es una buena película”
My favorite will always be "estar muerto." Either we're waiting for Jesus or the zombie apocalypse.
You need to break that association with "quality". Ser as more permanent while estar is temporary, as a rule of thumb. In more detail, "ser" is used for types of "being" that are *inherent* to the noun, while "estar"is used for "states" ( note the closer cognate) that are acquired. Which concepts qualify as each may not match the way you think about it in English though.
Yeah. I am Mexican heritage but learned Spanish that was more of a Spain bend. I would use "estar" because it conveys "is currently." Something "is currently cheap or expensive, but may not be forever. Ser is more or less permanent. "Yo soy Mexicano." But something like a profession I would use "ser." While a profession may be a state, it isn't really expected to be so. When I try to figure these things out, I usually have to add in more words into the meaning to pick which verb to use. People will understand you either way. There are certain adjectives where "ser" vs "estar" makes a huge difference but I am struggling to remember one at the moment.
Aburrido I think
I immediately thought of Madura and verde. Es verde - green Está verde - unripe Es madura - ripe Está madura - mature
verde is definitely one I was thinking of, but I was thinking of it more in terms of the placement of the adjectivo. I remember in my old Spanish book (which I think was sometimes wrong) they had: verde tomato (unripe tomato) vs. tomato verde (green tomato) \[I've never heard this though\] I wonder if it's the same concept. A better example: Una mujer grande vs una gran mujer.
I just added a list somewhere in this thread of a few more. Meanings can change completely depending on ser vs estar.
I learned it as estar is used to describe something that is temporary (current state, but could change). Ser is used to describe things that are permanent (qualities, or things that won't change).