Meaning Changes - Ser vs. Estar

[laepelba]

Would you give the meanings of these with ser & estar.... I can't find all of them in my dictionaries.....

[aleCcowaN]

Originally Posted by laepelba

nervioso
ser nervioso = to be neurotic
estar nervioso = to be jittery

vivo
ser vivo = to be vivacious
estar vivo = to be alive

rico
ser rico = to be rich
estar rico = to be delicious

torpe
ser torpe = to be slow-witted
estar torpe = to be clumsy, awkward

pesado
ser pesado = to be heavy
estar pesado = to be tiresome

ser nervioso = to be highly strung

ser vivaz = to be vivacious
ser vivo = to be clever, sharp

ser rico = to be rich
ser rico = to be tasty, delicious as a general opinion or on a regular basis ("estar rico" is only for today's meal)

ser torpe = to be clumsy, awkward (on a regular basis)
estar torpe = ??? (temporarily; when you are sedated or under the effect of alcohol)

ser pesado/ estar pesado ---> it can perfectly be the other way round.

[laepelba]

Thanks, all - I love the discussion!! (And thanks, especially, Perikles, for running those definitions for me/us!)

[laepelba]

"sauer" - is that a BrE spelling? In the US, we spell it: "sour"....

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by laepelba

"sauer" - is that a BrE spelling? In the US, we spell it: "sour"....

We do too in BrE, what I wrote was German (as in Sauerkraut). I confess I was using a table of ser/estar differences from a Spanish grammar book written in German. (That is why one or two of the verbs don't really count, but they were in the list because it makes a difference when translated into German.)

There are some words in German and English which have almost identical pronunciation (like sour/sauer) and being a little dyslexic, I often confuse the two languages.

[conejodescarado]

No sé si éste sea útil o no, pero una chica mexicana con quien chateo en Skype acaba de poner este vídeo en línea:

[wrholt]

It seems to me that if one knows that a woman has intentionally dressed up for some reason, then "estás guapa" would suggest that one has noticed and appreciated her effort. Tone of voice and expression undoubtedly help, too.

[aleCcowaN]

Interspersing (is it that?) "...especialmente..." (or "...particularmente..." in Spanish) would do the trick, both languages

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I agree with wrholt.

If you say "estás guapa", it means you're making a compliment on how the woman looks at a certain moment. Same for "te ves bien/guapa/bonita..."
All of these express a compliment for a moment in time.

If you say "eres guapa/bonita/linda...", you're making a compliment on the permanent features of the woman.

Most women I know, however, if you say "estás guapa", "qué bien te ves" or so, would take it as a compliment and be glad that something made them look better at that moment.

[pacomartin123]

It seems as if "estás guapa" would be the correct compliment for a coworker. An added especialmente wouldn't hurt if it is your wife or girlfriend.

There is a decent Wikipedia article that states:
The Spanish verb "ser" is etymologically related to the English words "essence" and "is", and estar with "state", "status", "standing", "stance" and "stay".