Portuguese: Ser versus Estar
From UniLang Wiki
In Portuguese there are two verbs for the English verb "To be", this might be a bit confusing at first for foreigners but there are rules when to use Ser and when to use Estar. On this page you'll learn the difference between the two and after reading this you'll know in what situations you should use Ser in what situations you should use Estar.
The basic rule about which one to use goes like this: If you're describing a temporary condition, you're describing HOW something is, then you use Estar. And if you're describing an essential fixed property, you're describing WHAT something is, then you use Ser.
See also: http://home.unilang.org/main/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9595
Ser
This might still sound a little vague, so we'll explain some further, Ser is used to:
- Tell Time
- Tell about possession
- Tell about the material something is made of
- Tell the place of origin
- Tell about one's nationality
- Tell about a certain relationship between two persons
- Tell about profession/occupation
- Tell about one's religion or political affiliation
- Tell when an event is taking place
- Tell about unchanging properties/qualities
Some examples using Ser will follow now:
- He is a fireman - Ele é bombeiro
- My jacket is totally made of cotton - O meu casaco é 100% de algodão
- I am from the Netherlands, so I am dutch - Sou da Holanda, por isso sou Holandês
- He is her little brother - Ele é o irmão mais novo dela
- That is my bike - Essa é a minha bicicleta
- They are catholic - São católicos
- My party is today - A minha festa é hoje
- The leaves of the tree are green - As folhas ao árvore são verdes (Note that this only applies to trees that remain green in all seasons, if a tree loses its green leaves in autumn then Estar is to be used since it would then be a temporary condition instead of a fixed fact)
Estar
- Tell where someone is, to express location
- Tell the state or condition of a certain object/person
- Tell something is in progress (Estar in combination with the gerund)
Some example sentences:
- I am in the house - Estou em casa
- He is very happy - Ele está muito feliz
- She is ill - Ela está doente
- I am riding my bike - Estou andando na minha bicicleta (This sentence uses the ESTAR + GERUND combination to express something is in progress)
