SPA 107: rules for ser versus estar

  SER versus ESTAR rules.  
Pair the following rules with the idea in our grammar packet:

condition     versus     “consubstantial”

tired/ busy/alone                 attractive/nice/intelligent

What happens when something that is normally consubstantial/defining is (from our perspective) a condition? This is the point that the SPA107 power point on this topic makes about Rosa, the winner of the Spanish version of American Idol. 

        SER:

1 time/date

2 nationality / profession /relationship (i.e. es mi hermano)

3 “is made of” (material)

4 description (¿cómo es? ¿qué es?)

5 directly before a noun (no preposition separating verb from noun)

6 ser + past participle to form a passive:

   “The country was conquered.”

   I don’t believe that this is something you have seen yet.

   We generally tell beginners to avoid this because it

   works quite differently than English. 

     ESTAR

7  location (except the location of an event)

8  with the gerund (está corriendo = he is running)

9  with adjectives that answer: ¿Cómo está? ¿Cómo estás? (How are you?)

10 when speaking about a food you are actually eating, estar = to taste

SER y ESTAR

11  specific words change meaning with ser or estar (all of these except the last are from SPA101-102)

  es verde    = it is (the color) green                   está verde= unripe

  es un borracho  =drunkard  (insult!!)              está borracho = drunk

  es aburrido =boring                                       está aburrido =bored

  es listo = intelligent (maybe street smarts)      está listo = somebody is ready

  es seguro  it’s safe (a safe bet)                         está seguro  = somebody is sure (feels certain)

                                  

12 specific adjectives are “always” used with either ser or estar

    ESTAR contento/ lleno (full) / enfermo (sick) / muerto (dead)     ß ESTAR casado    fit loosely in this category

    SER     cierto (it’s true)                                                                  ß  SER soltero     As I said in class, native speakers

                                                                                                                                                       will change these, but a learner will always be right

                                                                                                                                                        with estar casado and ser soltero

13   There are many things which we say with “to be” in English but not in Spanish.  ¡There is/there are = hay!

        I am 20 years old = Tengo veinte años  

        I’m hungry/thirsty/cold/right = tengo hambre/sed/ frío/razón  etc.    

        I am late (to talk about a person) = llegar tarde  Voy a llegar  tarde

DON'T  FORGET SYNONYMS for ser or estar are common: 

Quedar or encontrarse are very common substitutions for speaking about location, especially permanent things. 

    La biblioteca queda cerca de mi oficina.  

   Me encuentro en la oficina ahora mismo. 

   verse  = to look He looks sad (Se ve triste).

    parecer / sentirse