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Old September 07, 2009, 10:37 AM
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Twix93 Twix93 is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Inglaterra
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Native Language: Inglés
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Quote:
As I understand it, in general, if the situation is temporary or referring to location it uses estar. "La puerta está abierta." And if the situation is more permanent "el gato es rojo," ser is used instead. Then there are nuances, exceptions, and further specificity, but that is the basic use that I was taught. I dont think the third person singular conjugations are magically different in their uses from the other 5...
That's where I got confused when I first learned about ser and estar, for example:

Éllos son estudiantes. (Most people don't stay a student forever!)

I was told that the difference was permanent/temporary, but I wasn't told about exceptions.

Quote:
Ser is less transient and more of an inherent characterisitic. Sometimes ser and estar can be interchanged but the meaning changes. Ella es rubia. Ella está rubia for example.
Just curious... does "Ella está rubia" mean that she is blond because she died it blond, but "Ella es rubia" means that she is naturally blond?
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