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When to use the verb "Ser" and when to use "Estar"This is the place for questions about conjugations, verb tenses, adverbs, adjectives, word order, syntax and other grammar questions for English or Spanish. |
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#1
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@Lou Ann: David is right about "ser/estar casado". In Mexico is equally frequent to say one or the other.
--¿Ya conociste al nuevo gerente? (Have you met the new manager?) --Sí, ¿sabes si es casado? / ¿crees que esté casado? (Yes, do you know/believe he's married?) As for "estar muerto", "estar" is the right choice most of the times. "Ser muerto" would mean some kind of zombie or so. El médico no pudo hacer nada por Juan. Está muerto. The doctor couldn't do anything for Juan. He's dead. Someone joking in a graveyard: ¡Soy un muerto que sale de su tumba! ¡BU! I'm a deadman coming out of his grave! BOO!
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#2
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Well, not in Spain. La gente está casada, no es casada. Yo he oído "es casado" a gente muy mayor, quizá era antes, cuando no existía el divorcio. Ahora la gente está casada, soltera, divorciada, separada o viuda. Pero está, no es. Digo en mi país. . De hecho, a esto se denomina "estado civil".
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also there are some locutions with ser as : El es hombre muerto si se enfrenta a la mafia local. |
#4
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Para mi son comunes sendas maneras:
"Es casado". ---que sería como decir---> Su estado civil es casado. "Esta casado". Sin embargo la segunda es la más aceptada y gramaticalmente correcta, como explicaron más arriba. 'No quiso la lengua castellana que de casado a cansado hubiese más de una letra de diferencia.' - Lope de Vega Last edited by ookami; August 21, 2009 at 05:46 PM. |
#5
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Good!
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#6
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Very good!
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#7
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When to use the verb "Ser" and when to use "Estar"
Im not an expert, and I havent done Spanish grammar for a while; so any and all of this can be incorrect.
But I think what you were told, that there are no rules, is wrong. 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... I would use "es" for pesado. Am I confused? Last edited by Rusty; August 31, 2009 at 04:27 AM. Reason: Removed advertising |
#8
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Generally estar means: to be in the state of (in the state if sadness in the
state joy , illness, Kansas, etc.) 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. With that in mind there a also genuine solid rules which you need to know and practive. You can always pull them up on the internet. Here's an example: http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/100040/ser-and-estar Most people who are not native Spanish speakers make mistakes with ser and estar, and native speakers will, for the most part, understand anyway.
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Me ayuda si corrige mis errores. Gracias. |
#9
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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:
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#10
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You would use ser for a person with blond hair, natural or dyed. You would use estar if one day the person's hair looked more blond than usual (a surprise).
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estar, ser, ser vs estar, vocab comparison, vs |
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