Ser or estar - that is the question!

Ser or estar - that is the question!

One of the first challenges that foreign students face when learning Portuguese is to learn the difference between the verbs "ser" and "estar". 

The basic difference is that the verb “ser” is used for permanent situations and the verb “estar” for temporary ones. What is permanent and what is temporary? That is an important question, and in some situations, it is not so simple. 

One student told me that the famous Shakespeare quote “To be or not to be; that is the question,” should be translated as “ser ou estar eis a questão”. Hamlet, the main character, lives a dilemma: on one hand are his values, the “ser,” and on the other hand is the situation in which he finds himself, the “estar”.

Teachers in general give to the student a list and examples of proper use of these two verbs. For example: we use “ser” with professions, nationalities, and religions and “estar” with temporary characteristics or frame of mind. This explanation is good for A1 students, but it is not enough for the more advanced. 

A special case is when we talk about marital status. The verb "ser" is most often used, but marital status can change, can’t it? So, the verb "estar" can also be used especially when the change in marital status is new or it is something that is going change soon. 

One of the most enigmatic uses is the use of the verbs "ser" and "estar" with the word “morto” (death). It is possible to use both verbs, but the idea conveyed when we use one or the other verb is different. When we use the verb "estar" it indicates that a person who once lived is now dead. The point is we show a change of state from alive to dead. On the other hand, we use the verb “ser” if someone has been dead a long time or for the passive voice as in, “He was killed (by someone).”

Whenever I correct essays by foreign students, this is a common confusion -- when to use the verb "ser" or the verb "estar" regardless of the student's level or nationality. You may know that there are the verbs "ser" and "estar" in Spanish. True. But these verbs are not always used in the same way in Portuguese as in Spanish. For example, in Spanish it’s correct to say, “Canadá está en Norteamérica (Canada is in North America).” But in Portuguese we consider the fact that Canada has always been in North America and no one can take Canada out of its place; so we say “O Canadá é na América do Norte (Canada is in North America).” Or we use the verb “ficar”, meaning “located in” as in “O Canadá fica na América do Norte.”

Do you think it is difficult to use the verbs “ser” and “estar” correctly? Did you learn something new from this article? Tell me in the comments.