question.... está - es
 

mi bateria esta baja or mi bateria es baja? (my battery is low)

when exactly is the word "es" used? it seems as though "esta" is used everywhere and for everything. is there a rule or a sign to let you know exactly when to use the word "es"?

im pretty sure in the example sentence that the correct word to use is "esta" but i dont see why "es" cant be used. i know you cant speak spanish like it is english but the word "es" only means "is". what harm would it do to the sentence to use the word "es" instead of "esta". i dont know why someone cant say mi bateria es baja.

and i believe if you want to say my battery WAS low you would say mi bateria estaba baja. but when is the word "es" used? when can it be used?

It can't be used. To be low is not a permanent state of the battery.
look here
http://forums.tomisimo.org/showthread.php?t=260
http://forums.tomisimo.org/showthread.php?t=983
Saludos :D

Permanent and non permanent is not a clear way at all to explain the difference between SER and ESTAR.



Por ejemplo:

• Está muerto (permanente).
• Estoy soltero (provisional).
• Madrid está en España (permanente)
• Estoy en casa (provisional).
• Está acabado (permanente).

• Soy joven (provisional).
• Es de madera (permanente).
• Somos novios (provisional).
• Soy madrileño (permanente).
• Soy electricista (provisional).

You are lucky you can better think from the beginning about SER and ESTAR as different translations of TO BE that can only be followed by different phrases.

There is not a definitive rule about this, but a list of the most important usages:




SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT USAGES OF SER:

• Identificación de personas y cosas: Es Pedro; es un libro.
• Profesiones: Soy arquitecto.
• Cualidades morales: es simpático y agradable.
• Características físicas de personas y cosas: es bajito; es de color verde.

SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT USAGES OF ESTAR:

• Ubicación geográfica: estoy en Madrid.
• Estado anímico: estoy cansado.

The above usages are the basics. You could be in the higher lever of Spanish and still be wondering why this usages doesn't fit a rule. Don't be afraid of that. It's easier than it seems if you think about it as different combinations. Some of them are right, some of them are not. ;)

good one Alfonso
Tomisimo, make a thread with all this things :D

Thread #260 is already pinned at the top of the Grammar section, so it's easy to locate.

The list David made (#260) is great, but I don't think it's proper for a beginner. It tries to include everything, which is great when you already know some Spanish, but can be frustrating when you know very little Spanish.

When teaching, topics must be put in sequence according to the student's level. A criteria that can be helpful is the following:

FRECUENCIA, FACILIDAD, NECESIDAD, RENTABILIDAD