ser and estar with adjectives
With adjectives, ser presents a quality as part of what someone or something is, while estar presents it as a state, change or impression. Some adjectives change meaning completely.
| adjective | with ser | with estar |
|---|---|---|
| listo | clever | ready |
| aburrido | boring | bored |
| malo | bad (person, thing) | ill |
| rico | rich | tasty |
| vivo | lively, sharp | alive |
| orgulloso | arrogant | proud (of someone) |
| despierto | alert, bright | awake |
Same adjective, different view
- Es guapa (she is beautiful) / Está guapa hoy (she looks beautiful today).
- La sopa es fría (a cold soup, like gazpacho) / La sopa está fría (it has gone cold).
- estar + participle for results: La puerta está abierta. Estoy cansado.
- estar for marital status in everyday speech: Estoy casado / soltero (ser casado also correct).
Examples
- La clase es aburrida y los alumnos están aburridos.The class is boring and the students are bored.
- ¿Estás lista? Nos vamos.Are you ready? We’re leaving.
- Mi abuelo está muy bien para su edad.My grandfather is in very good shape for his age.
- ¡Esta paella está riquísima!This paella is delicious!
- Mi vecino es muy listo, pero hoy está enfermo.My neighbour is very clever, but today he is ill.
Common mistakes
- ✗ Mi hermano es aburrido hoy.✓ Mi hermano está aburrido hoy.Ser aburrido means “boring”; estar aburrido means “bored”. English uses two different words, Spanish one adjective and two verbs.
- ✗ Es listo para salir.✓ Está listo para salir.Listo with ser means “clever”, with estar “ready”. English has two words for the two meanings.
- ✗ Mi vecino está malo.✓ Mi vecino es malo.Ser malo means “bad (person)”, estar malo means “ill”. English “bad” covers both.
- ✗ Mi madre es ocupada ahora.✓ Mi madre está ocupada ahora.Being busy at the moment is a temporary state, so estar is used. English “is” gives no help.
- ✗ Estoy joven.✓ Soy joven.Age group is a lasting characteristic, so ser. “Estás joven” would mean “you look young today”.