SER and ESTAR -- One more explanation

Like their English translation (to be), ser and estar are linking verbs. One way to tell which of these verbs to use is by looking at what the verb links together. On one side of the verb is always a noun or noun phrase (the subject). On the other side you will have either another noun phrase, an adjective phrase, or a prepositional phrase. (No verb phrases, obviously, because ser and estar fill that role.) Taking the time to identify what's on the other side of the verb makes it much easier to decide which verb to use.


Two noun phrases will be joined by ser, never estar. SER functions as an equal sign.
  • Miguel es profesor


    • Josefina es una niña muy lista

     It doesn't matter if there's a recent change; in this situation we're talking about a rule that has to do with syntax (grammar), not with semantics (meaning). So:

    Antes, ustedes eran niños de colegio, pero ahora son estudiantes universitarios. Ya [Uds.] casi son adultos.

    It's as simple as that. If you're joining two noun phrases, the linker is always ser.  No exceptions.
     


    It's when we get to adjective phrases that we have to worry about semantics. As you've been told before, ser is used for permanent, inherent characteristics and estar is used for a condition that's somehow different from the norm. (All the rules you've heard about temporary conditions, things that can change, etc., are in reference to adjective phrases only.) It may help to think again of ser as an equal sign. When you say "Miguel es XYZ," it means "Miguel is an XYZ kind of person." When you say "Miguel está XYZ," you mean he's acting, looking, feeling, etc, that way.

    Another, probably better, way of looking at this is to consider what your point of reference is.  Ser is used when you're naming a characteristic that distinguishes the person or thing from other people or things. Estar is used when you're describing a condition that distinguishes the person or thing's current state from other possible states of itself.

  • Miguel es feo -- He is an ugly person.  That's what distinguishes him from other people; it's one of the ways we recognize him in a crowd.


    • Miguel está feo-- He looks ugly for him (because of what he's wearing or his new haircut or something-- this isn't his normal condition).  He may still be absolutely gorgeous compared to Pablo, but that's not what we're talking about. He's ugly compared to other ways HE could be.

     By the way, the point of reference criterion explains things like:
    Lincoln está muerto
    This really is how you say someone is dead. The criterion of permanent/temporary doesn't always work, because you certainly can't get any more permanent than dead. However, being dead isn't something that distinguishes him from other people.  He's not more or less dead than, say, Jefferson Davis.  All we're saying here is that he's dead now, compared to how he was at other times.

    When the predicate is a prepositional phrase, the verb depends on which preposition is used and what it introduces. The most common prepositions used with "to be" phrases are en and de.

    En (and in a few cases, a,) is most often used to describe a location or condition, and the linker is usually estar. The exception comes when the subject is an event rather than a person or object.

  • Madrid está en España. Josefina está en la cocina. Mi sobrino está en segundo grado de primaria. (El lobo está a la puerta)


    • But: La clase es en Parlin. La fiesta es a las nueve. (These are events, not physical objects. In this case, ser can be translated as "to happen.")

     Again, it doesn't matter if the location is changeable. Even though cities, buildings, etc. don't move, you still use estar to describe their location. They are located there; they don't happen there.
     
     

    Prepositional phrases with de are somewhat like adjective phrases. If what's described in the phrase is a characteristic of the subject (which is the most common use- when de indicates origin, material of manufacture, or possession), the verb will be ser. If it's a condition (usually in idiomatic expressions), the linker will be estar:

  • Pablo es de Dallas. Este vaso es de plástico. Son los hijos de Josefina.


    • But: La ciudad está de luto. Arturo y yo estábamos de vacaciones.

         These are not all the uses of these two verbs, of course. You have lists of other rules in Por fin llegamos and Puntos de partida, along with exercises. There are also good practice exercises on pp. 59-61 and 67 in your Supplement.

    A final note: If you have ANY doubts about whether you can instantly identify noun, verb, adjective, and prepositional phrases, get help TODAY! These are confusing issues for many students, but being familiar with these basic grammatical concepts will help enormously in your English classes as well as Spanish.

    Copyright Ann Wildermuth, University of Texas at Austin, 1997, 2000.

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