Mastering the verbs "Ser" and "Estar" in Brazilian Portuguese
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Today Iโm going to teach you one of the most difficult things in Portuguese: when to use <span style="color: #800000; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>SER</strong></span> and <span style="color: #800000; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>ESTAR</strong></span>.
We use <span style="color: #800000; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>SER</strong></span> to describe the how someone or something is always.
We use <span style="color: #800000; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>ESTAR</strong> </span>for transitory or not permanent conditions or characteristics, how a thing is at the moment.
Thatโs why we say, for example:
- Ele estรก doente (Heโs sick)
But we can also sayโฆ
- Ele รฉ doente (Heโs sick)
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<strong>Whatโs the difference?</strong>
- Ele estรก doente (Heโs a healthy person, but heโs sick at the moment).
- Ele รฉ doente (Probably he has an incurable disease or heโs mentally sick).
See below more uses of the verbs ser and estar.
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #800000;"><strong>Ser</strong></span>
<strong>Nationality</strong>
- Eu sou brasileiro (Iโm Brazilian)
<strong>Ocupation</strong>
- Ele รฉ dentista (He's dentist)
<strong>Personal relationships</strong>
- Ele รฉ meu pai (Heโs my father)
<strong>Permanent location</strong>
- A escola รฉ no centro da cidade (The school is the center city)
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #800000;"><strong>Estar</strong></span>
<strong>Movable location</strong>
- Eu estou em casa (Iโm at home)
<strong>Mental states</strong>
- Eu estou feliz (Iโm happy)
- Eu estou confuso (Iโm confused)
<strong>Physical states</strong>
- Eu estou doente (Iโm sick)
- Eu estou cansado (Iโm tired)
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Besides all these cases, there are also some tricky things about <strong>SER</strong> and <strong>ESTAR</strong>. Watch the video and find out.
Do you want practice this and other subjects in Portuguese? Book me on Verbling... Let's talk and learn!
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January 5, 2018