ser and estar (to be)

Portuguese has two verbs for English “to be”. ser says what something is: identity, origin, job, character. estar says how or where something is right now: state, mood, temporary location.

Which one?

• ser: name, nationality, origin, job, character, material, time and dates: Sou a Ana. É médico. São três horas. A mesa é de madeira.
• estar: temporary states, feelings, weather: Estou cansado. A sopa está fria. Está calor.
• estar com + noun for physical states: estou com fome (I’m hungry), com frio, com sono.
• Location: people and movable things take estar (O João está em casa). Fixed places such as cities and buildings usually take ser or ficar: Onde é o banco? Lisboa fica em Portugal.

Examples

• Sou dos Estados Unidos, mas agora estou no Brasil.I’m from the United States, but I’m in Brazil now.
• Minha irmã é muito simpática.My sister is very friendly.
• Hoje ela está triste.She is sad today.
• Estamos com fome.We are hungry.
• Onde fica a estação?Where is the station?
• É meio-dia.It’s noon.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Estou professor.✓ Sou professor.A job is part of who you are, so it takes ser; English “I am” covers both verbs, so the choice has to be made in Portuguese.
• ✗ Eu sou cansado hoje.✓ Eu estou cansado hoje.Tiredness is a temporary state, so it takes estar; English “I am tired” gives no clue, and sou cansado sounds like a permanent trait.
• ✗ Estou de Chicago.✓ Sou de Chicago.Where you come from takes ser; English “I am from” uses the same “be” that you might also use for location.
• ✗ Eu sou com fome.✓ Eu estou com fome.Physical states such as hunger use estar com + noun; the English adjective “hungry” leads learners to pick ser.
• ✗ O João é em casa.✓ O João está em casa.A person’s present location takes estar; ser is for what someone is, not where they are at the moment.