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In the pages about the uses of "ser" and "estar" we gave some fairly confusing explanations. Please look at them again. |
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We use "ser" with an adjective to express a permanent or inherent quality | |
| El azúcar es dulce |
sugar is sweet |
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| mi padre es calvo | my father is bald | |
| mis hermanas son altas | my sisters are tall | |
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We us "estar" with an adjective to express a temporary or unusual quality | |
| Another way of saying this is: To express a quality or state seen by the speaker as subject to change or different from expected | ||
| la sopa está un poco fría |
the soup is a bit cold |
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| María está muy guapa hoy | María is looking very pretty today | |
| Hoy estoy de mal humor | I am in a bad mood today | |
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For many people these types of explanations
may be correct but they may not be very helpful. |
| Es un borracho |
He is a drunkard |
| Está borracho | He is drunk (at the moment) |
| El chico es pálido |
The boy is pale (he has a naturally pale complexion) |
| El chico está pálido | The boy is pale (he is pale at the moment because he is ill) |
| El hielo es frio |
The ice is cold (ice is inherently cold) |
| Este café está frio | This coffee is cold (it has gone cold) |