Ser or Estar

[er610]

La silla.....roto. (Which verb ser or estar should I use and why?)

[Rusty]

Welcome to the forums!

Have a look at this thread to see if it answers your question.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Also, the noun and the adjective must agree. "Silla" is a feminine, so there is need for a feminine adjective.

[Tomisimo]

Does it help if I say you normally use estar for changeable conditions and characteristics?

[wafflestomp]

Can you fix the chair and change that broken condition (even if it isn't cost effective to do that) or is it broken forever regardless of what you do?

The way I was taught was originally all that health location temporary condition stuff, but one of my newer teachers simplified it. Just location and temporary condition for when you use estar. That's it. Everything else is ser, regardless. The desk is in the building -- el escritorio está en el edificio. Rachel is sick -- Rachel está enferma (hint, that feminine on enferma has to do with your chair thing)

[Rusty]

Your teacher's method seems a bit too simplistic.
You don't always use estar for location.

Where is the concert?
¿Dónde es el concierto?

An event always takes ser because it isn't an object with a location. That said, if the event is on foot (marching band), you could use estar to inquire about its present location.

[wafflestomp]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Your teacher's method seems a bit too simplistic.
You don't always use estar for location.

Where is the concert?
¿Dónde es el concierto?

An event always takes ser because it isn't an object with a location. That said, if the event is on foot (marching band), you could use estar to inquire about its present location.

True. I actually knew that from this site when someone taught me a while ago here about dónde es la fiesta lol

But again American students are taught HLTC - health location temporary condition. So still the event is left out of there and you really have to figure that out on your own.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Maybe something that should be taught specifically: when the subject has some quality or condition that is the result of an action, a transformation or a change, we use "estar":

·Los ladrones están presos.
·Mis plantas están marchitas.
·El coche está descompuesto.
·Nuestra mascota está muerta.
·Tu tobillo está fracturado.
·Sus ilusiones están deshechas.
·Esta casa está muy sucia.