'ser' and 'estar' both translates as 'to be', but they don't exactly mean the same thing in Spanish.
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Contrasting Ser and Estar
The differences between ser and estar are considered to be one of the most difficult concepts to nonnative speakers. Both ser and estar translate into English as "to be" but they both express different ideas. These differences may be generalized so that ser expresses nature and estar expresses state.
Ser generally focuses on the essence of the subject but more specifically may be thought of in several ways including:
Nationality
Time and date
Possession
Occupation
Physical and personality traits
Estar generally focuses on the condition of the subject but more specifically may be thought of in several ways including:
Physical condition
Feelings and emotions
Location
Appearance
In English the sentence "The boy is bored" uses a different adjective than "The boy is boring". In Spanish the difference is made by the choice of ser vs. estar.
El chico es aburrido uses ser to mean a permanent trait or "The boy is boring"
El chico está aburrido uses estar to mean a conditional trait or "The boy is bored"
The same strategy is used to mean permanent or conditional trait of any adjective, vg.:
María es guapa uses ser to mean a permanent trait or "María is beautiful" (she was beautiful yesterday, and will be tomorrow)
María está guapa uses estar to mean a conditional trait or "María looks beautiful" (today, but it doesn't mean she is beautiful)
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