> <sup>This is a stub for the answer. Feel free to collaborate, and remember to add links in case you add information coming from already answered questions. If you want to go deeper into the roots of *ser* and *estar*, check out https://spanish.stackexchange.com/q/18440/12637</sup> # Main differences between *ser* and *estar*: * As noted by their etymologies, *ser* comes from Latin *esse*, and denotes the *essence* of things. *Estar* comes from Latin *stare* and denotes *states*. So as a general rule, use *ser* for essences (permanent conditions) and *estar* for states (that can be transitory or not). > *Pepe es aburrido* (he's a boring person in essence). > *Pepe está aburrido* (his state is bored now). > *María es inquieta* (María is always like that). > *María está inquieta* (María is not always like that, but he is now for some reason). > *Juan es un muerto viviente* (or a zombie, in essence). > *Juan está muerto* (he's in such a permanent state, but a state nonetheless). * *Ser* is used when something has a quality it is expected to have, whereas *estar* is used when something has an unexpected quality: > *La abuela de Juan es joven* (she is a young grandmother). > *La abuela de Juan está muy joven para tener 80 años* (she looks young for her age). * *Ser* is used in the passive voice when a process is implied, whereas *estar* is used when a state is implied: > *La puerta fue cerrada por el viento* (a process in which the door closes is referenced). > *La puerta está cerrada* (the door is just closed).<br> > *Esa puerta estuvo cerrada todo el día de ayer* (the door, at some given time, was closed). * When talking about food, *ser* is used to talk about the appearance and *estar* is used to talk about the taste: > *Las tartas que hace Juan son espectaculares* (they look impressive). > *Las tartas que hace Juan están espectaculares* (they may not look impressive but the taste is incredibly good). > *Las bayas de enebro son malas* (they are bad for your health). > *Las bayas de enebro están malas* (they taste horribly). Exception: when you want to say that the taste of something is always the same, regardless of how it is prepared: > *La carne de ternera es deliciosa* (it always tastes good). > *La carne de ternera está deliciosa* (this particular beef tastes good). * Both *ser* and *estar* can be used to ask the price, but *ser* will be used with the interrogative form *cuánto* to be informed about the final or total price just before paying, while *estar* will be used with the interrogative form *a cuánto* to be informed about the current price of an individual item before making the decision whether to buy it or not: > *¿A cuánto está el kilo de naranjas?* > *A un euro.* > (After buying three kilos of oranges:) *¿Cuánto es?* > *Son tres euros.* # When to use *ser*: * To introduce yourself or someone else: > ¡Hola, soy Carlos! (Hi, I'm Carlos!) > Ese es Pepe. (This is Pepe) * To talk about relationships: > Juan es mi hermano. (Juan is my brother) > Paco era mi jefe. (Paco was my boss) > María es la amiga de Isabel. (María is Isabel's friend) * [To speak about the location where an event takes place][1]: > El partido de baloncesto será en el estadio. (The basketball game will be at the stadium) > La reunión fue en la sala 3. (The meeting was in room 3) * [To talk about time][2]: > Son las tres menos cuarto. (It's 2:45) > Eran las cinco y media cuando salí de casa. (It was 5:30 when I left home) > Hoy es jueves. (Today is Thursday) > Ayer fue 30 de mayo. (Yesterday was May 30th) * To talk about occupations or procedences: > Yo soy pintor. (I'm a painter) > Mi hermana era ingeniera pero ahora es directora de un hotel. (My sister was engineer but now she's a hotel manager) > Estoy estudiando para ser arquitecto. (I'm studding to become architect) > Yo soy sevillano. (I'm _sevillian_ [I'm from Sevilla]) > Juan es de Granada. (Juan is from Granada) * To talk about characteristics (that don't change so often) of things or persons: > Yo soy una persona alegre. (I'm a happy person) > La manzana es roja. (The apple is red) > El clima acá es terrible. (Weather here is terrible) # When to use *estar*: * Before gerunds to form continuous tenses: > Estoy escribiendo una respuesta para esta pregunta. > Estábamos cruzando el puente cuando nos asaltó un ladrón. * [To speak about the location of something or someone][1]: > Los jugadores están en el estadio. > El pastel estaba sobre la mesa. * [To talk about a permanent condition as a result of a change][3]: > Fulano está muerto. > El vaso está roto. * To talk about dates or seasons using the first person plural: > ¿A qué día estamos hoy? > Ya estamos en primavera. * To talk about the very near future: > Estaba por llegar cuando supo que la fiesta se había cancelado. > Estoy a punto de empezar a comer. ¿Puedes llamar más tarde? * To express how you (or someone else) feel: > -¿Cómo estás? -Estoy bien, gracias. > Juan estaba triste esta mañana, no sé qué le pasaba. # Idiomatic expressions using *ser* or *estar*: One of the most challenging aspects of any language is making sense of idiomatic expressions, that are common knowledge in the community through continuous usage, but may defy the accepted rules of the language, rendering them nonsensical when attempting a literal translation. The best hope in this cases is finding an equivalent idiomatic expression on the destination language, (probably just as nonsensical) or explaining the reason or situation in which such expressions make sense. The verbs *ser* and *estar* being central to the Spanish language are part of many such expressions, however, in the following examples, the permanency or transitiveness, respectively, are the central theme of the Mexican phrase: > *Estar* como agua para chocolate The equivalent english idiom is ***To be* mad as a hornet** Here, a person experiences sudden anger; like the boiling water required on for preparing the traditional hot cocoa beverage. However the *transitive* nature of this mood is stressed and reassured through the reference to the beverage: it has too cool down in order to *be* enjoyed, just as our enraged subject will implicitly return to his implied *sweet* or *mild* self. Only through the temporary nature of the verb *estar* can we convey such a concept in so few words. > ¿*Eres*? ¿O te haces? The equivalent english Idiom is ***Are** you for real? or **are** you just playing dumb?* This puzzling but powerful expression is very typical, especially when dealing with distracted kids. It leaves out an implicit adjective, which is universally understood within the context of this phrase: *¿Eres tonto? ¿O solo te haces pasar por tonto?* The phrase is a harsh coming to terms with someone who may be playing coy by pretending to not understand. However paradoxically, leaving out whatever implied negative adjective we may want to attach to the question (it works in a multitude of contexts) renders the phrase that much stronger, implying we know better than that person who is pretending not to understand. Here, the permanent nature of *being* a fool, rather than playing one is used as an incentive to motivate compliance. [1]: https://spanish.stackexchange.com/q/1790/12637 [2]: https://spanish.stackexchange.com/q/5617/12637 [3]: https://spanish.stackexchange.com/q/793/12637e