What's the difference between "soy feliz" and "estoy feliz"?
When would you say one or the other, or are they interchangeble. I hear "soy feliz" in many songs. But... in the Spanish Lessons 1.1 - Greetings and Introductions, "Estoy feliz" is used for when someone asks you how you're doing.
6 Answers
I would say "soy feliz" means I am a happy person.
"Estoy feliz" means I feel happy.
Soy is the ser form of I am Estoy is the estar form of I am.
A general way you can remember which one to use is to ask of the adjetive is permanent or temporary. If you are always happy and never sad they you could use soy feliz. But if you are only happy for the moment, like most people, then you would use estoy feliz
"Soy feliz" and "estoy feliz" both mean "I am happy". The "am" (to be) can be from either of the 2 Spanish verbs for "to be", which are "ser" (used for permanent conditions) or "estar" (used for temporary conditions). "Soy" is from "ser" and "estoy" is from "estar", their 1st person conjugation. Normally, we would say "estoy feliz" because the feeling, or any feeling I suppose, is temporary. To say "soy feliz" is to say you are always or permanently happy, which is rather strange. Perhaps in song lyrics the writer uses his poetic license to come up with "soy feliz". Something we would like to believe ourselves too when we are madly in love.
Let me add though that I just learned now from the comment that "soy feliz" can be used normally. So my explanation above is only half of the real picture.
I've always been taught- estar contento/a and ser feliz. I've been told that "estar feliz" sounds odd.
Normally ser is used to express immanent or at least durable long term conditions i.e 'Yo soy un hombre' because, although nowadays you could undergo transgender surgery, being of a certain gender is still one of those things condidered immanent to the person. Estar, on the other hand, is used in the opposite sense, a casual circumstance or condition not meant long term. I.e 'Yo estoy triste' because it's just a temporary situation; you are sad now because something has happened or whatever but you won't be sad for the rest of your of life. Most of the sentences that express action use of estar because of this transitory connotations: 'estoy comiendo', 'estoy bebiendo', 'estoy jugando', estoy escribiendo', things you do and then you stop doing them after a reasonably short time.
So, 'soy feliz' means an immanent condition of your personality. You are happy as in you've reached a scenario in your life in which you basically have achieved happiness in your life. This is obviously somewhat hyperbolic because you never know what the future will bring, but you are describing yourself as a person that is happy with its situation, life, family and etc.
'estoy feliz' simply means that you are happy at the moment because something nice has just, or somewhat recently, happened to you. You are describing an emotion, not a condition of your being, and like all emotions it's a temporary thing.
La diferencia es poca, en mi opinión son intercambiables en muchos contextos. Es cierto que "está feliz" se suele usar para situaciones nuevas que están aconteciendo ahora.
Ejemplos habituales: Un hombre encuentra una buena mujer después de muchos años viviendo con una "bruja". Al verlo paseando por la calle sus amigos dirán... Fíjate, está feliz. Indicando que es feliz desde que conoció a esta nueva chica.
Se usa mucho con niños también, ejemplo: Un niño en pleno verano chapoteando en una piscina. Se ríe juega y no quiere salir del agua.
Sus padres dicen: mírale, está feliz.
Otro ejemplo: Manolo está pescando en el río y aparece su amigo José.
- José- Hola Manolo, que bien se te ve ahí pescando. -Manolo- hombreeeee, estoy feliz, esto es vida. Jajajaja.
Digamos que a mi entender, aunque intercambiables en muchas ocasiones, suena un poco mejor en este tipo de contextos temporales decir " estoy feliz"
Saludos a todos y "ser felices". En este caso no estaría bien decir "estaros felices" ya que os deseo felicidad para toda la vida.
