Sobre os verbos SER e ESTAR - e o verb to be

Another problem I've noticed talking to people who speaks english as native language, is translating verb to be.
I think it's very difficult to understand different meanings for the same verb. Probably everyone I've talked was confuse about using 'ser' or 'estar'.

This is the present tense of this verbs:

	SER	ESTAR
EU	sou	estou
TU	és	estás
ELE, ELA, VOCÊ	é	está
NÓS	somos	estamos
VÓS	sois	estais
ELES, ELAS, VOCÊS	são	estão

For now I'll use only the present tense to explain the idea.

The first thing everybody needs to keep in mind is that 'estar' mostly refers to a temporary situation, and 'ser' mostly refers to a permanent situation.

When you talk about be in some place, you always have to use the verb 'estar'.

Some exemples:

• Eu estou no Brasil.
• Eu estou em casa.
• Onde você está?
• Você está no mercado?
• Ele está na sala.
• Nós estamos na escola.

When you talk about a permanent attribute, you have to use the verb 'ser'.

Some exemples:

• Eu sou brasileira.
• Ela é alta.
• Nós somos simpáticos.

When you talk about some attribute that can change, you can use 'ser' or 'estar', it depends if you think it will really change.

Some exemples:

• Eu sou gorda. - I am fat and it will not change soon.
• Eu estou gorda. - I am fat, but I think I can lose weight, or I'm trying to lose weight, or I think I will not be fat forever.

When you talk about feelings, you can use both, it depends if the feeling is temporary.

Some exemples:

• Eu sou feliz. - I am happy always.
• Eu estou feliz. - I am happy now, but maybe later I won't.

If you want to say the reason why you are feeling something, you need to use 'estar'.

Example:

• Eu estou feliz porque vou viajar mês que vem. - I'm happy because I will travel next month.

I think it's enough today!

Tchauzinho, beijos. ;-)