When is it Soy or Estoy

Question

Please can you explain why the word for "I am " is sometimes "Soy" as in Soy de Inglaterra and sometimes "Estoy" as in

Estoy jubilados

many thanks

you should say Estamos jubilados or Estoy jubilado - kenwilliams, Sep 1, 2009

Answer 1

HI sharron, please check the use of

ser y estar

Welcome to the forum

Very clear post, but please make a search for other threads on this.

Answer 2

soy: permenent estoy: temporary

Not a god rule. - samdie, Sep 1, 2009

Answer 3

Estar ='s P.L.A.C.E which stands for Position, Location, Action, Condition, Emotion.

How you feel and where you are is when you use estar.

Ser ='s D.O.C.T.O.R which stands for Description, Occupation, Characteristics, Time, Origin, Relationship.

Answer 4

soy: permenent estoy: temporary smile

Soy profesor - temporary: soon I'll quit my job

Nueva York está en América - permanent, unless they are planning on moving New York somewhere else

Don't use that rule!

Sí Nueva York está en América pero Nueva York es la capital cuidad de América, so we have example of ser and estsar in the same paragrph - kenwilliams, Sep 1, 2009

I think the only thing wrong above is geogrphical we should be saying América del norte or estado unidos - kenwilliams, Sep 1, 2009

I think the only thing wrong above is geogrphical we should be saying América del norte or estado unidos - kenwilliams, Sep 1, 2009

typo,estados unidos not estado - kenwilliams, Sep 1, 2009