"Es aquí" ?'?

Question

I've been watching Mi Vida Loca (Spanish lessons from the BBC, linked to by this site). A couple times they've said "Es aquí" in reference to a building (for example, when the taxi driver arrived at the apartment building, that's what he said).

I was always taught that in general, ser is used for permanent conditions and estar for temporary ones, but estar is always used for location. The previous discussions on this site about ser vs. estar don't seem to touch on this. I realize the apartment building isn't going to move . . . but still!! Is this right? Is this something that's peculiar to Madrid'

Answer 1

Trying to catch me? Ok, let me answer then:

We were initially talking about using these two verbs predicatively with places (look at the thread title!), not attributively with adjectives. Cansado, aburrido, dormido,... are not places, so my explanations don't apply to them.

"Está azotando" is a phrase (perífrais) similar to the present progressive in English, not an predicative use of "estar" to locate things, so nothing to do with my explanations either.

Add this line before my explanations: "When talking about places....", (e.g. aquí, allí, etc.) and they will make perfect sense, but I thought it was clear considering what this thread is about.

Regarding Criss' comments, she was (slightly off-topic, and) referring, not to places like me, but to attributive uses of the verbs ser and estar, where people have to chose which one to pick with words such as "cansado", aburrido, dormido,.. If you read her explanations and examples you'll understand.

Answer 2

> ¿ Estoy cansado, casado, aburrido, acostado, dormido, despierto, felíz, complacido, herído, descepcionado, ilusionado...'
All these are a condition (brought on by change), so they take "estar."

Una fuerte tormenta está azotando la costa oeste del país (A strong storm is beating up the western shore/side of the country): "está azotando" = "is beating/hitting." This is the present progessive tense. "Estar" is the helping verb used with this tense. (I don't see this as a "use" of estar when looking at it v. ser, because it's a separate verb tense that is conjugated with estar and the present participle of the verb.)

Same with "se está realizando" = "is taking place." Present progressive of "realizarse."

Answer 3

I went off on an overall rant of ser v. estar (in all cases); Lazarus was staying with the topic and talking only about location.

Answer 4

Necesito comprarme este libro, ¿cuando sale'

Answer 5

¡Uf! No puedo darte una fecha todavía, pero dudo muchísimo que esté terminado antes de octubre o noviembre si sigo a este ritmo. Lo empecé hace relativamente poco tiempo; solo llevo 32 páginas (con letra muy pequeña), y puede que tenga alrededor las 300 páginas.

Solo describe el uso de 1000 verbos de uso frecuente, e incluye sus conjugaciones, usos preposicionales, expresiones coloquiales, cuándo usar el subjuntivo, cómo formar construcciones pasivas reflejas, pronominales e impersonales, y colocaciones (listas de palabras y expresiones con las que se usan frecuentemente), advertencias para angloparlantes sobre el uso, etc. ¡Es muchísimo trabajo!

Answer 6

Regarding está muerta I like the description given by JJ Keenan in his book 'Breaking Out of Beginners Spanish'
"When the person is remembered and eulogized years later, people won't say 'he was a good person, a kind person, and a dead person.'"

Answer 7

This is an excellent & enlightening discussion.
But Lazarus, you've caught my attention about the subjunctive -- where can I find out more?