Why is estar used rather than ser in the phrase: He is dead.

Question

Why is estar used rather than ser in the phrase: He is dead.

Better question: Why is estar used for "in love" and "married". There's great philosophy in grammar! - rabbitwho, Sep 4, 2011

Answer 1

Hi, Tim. Welcome to the forum.

Sounds like you may be caught up in the "Temporary vs. Permanent" trap some people use for "Ser vs. Estar." This doesn't work.

Mi padre está muerto.

Nueva York está en los Estados Unidos.

Soy estudiante.

El niño es joven.

Take a look at this article by Lazarus which uses the CID (classify, Identify, and Define) method to identify when you should use "ser."

I find the Temporary vs. Permanent thing doesn't always help me guess, but it usually helps me remember. E.g. now I say to myself, "Okay he's dead now, but he wasn't always" - rabbitwho, Sep 4, 2011

Right; and he's an eternal student and eternally young? - samdie, Sep 5, 2011

Answer 2

link with explanation by lazarus

Answer 3

I had thought there were a few cases where either estar or ser can be used more or less interchangeably and that muerto and casado were two of these. HOWEVER, according to this useful article

Estar muerto

Estar is generally used with muerto and vivo, not ser.

and with casado, and I quote here from something Lazarus wrote in WordReferenceForum a while ago regarding casado:

This is a very special word where you can't apply the usual Ser/Estar rules (as well as divorced, single and widowed): You can use both with practically the same meaning. However,

Casado y divorciado are used almost exclusively with "estar". Soltero y viuda are more or less used with both equally

¡Vamos a ver!

I have never heard "es muerto." - --Mariana--, Sep 4, 2011