permanent vs temporary

Question

is estar temporary?

Answer 1

DOCTOR - Ser ELF - Estar

The Elf is temporary.

Emotions - Location - Feelings

Answer 2

1.A better way of thinking about Estar is… as more changeable/flexible than Ser. Estar is used when we tell where or in what position the subject is. Tejas está en el suroeste de los Estados Unidos. – Texas is in the southwest of the United Staes. ¿Dónde estabas cuando me llamaron? - Where were you when they called me? Hemos estado tres veces en Panamá. – We have been in Panamá three times. El televisor estará por aquí. _ The television must be around here. ¿Estás parado o sentado? – Are you standing or seated?

1. It is used with the present participle to describe an action in progress at a specified time. Estábamos corriendo por el parque a las dos. – We were running through the park at three. Los nietos estaban llorando cuando los abuelos entraron. – The grandchildren were crying when the grandparents arrived.

2. When used with a past participle, the resulting state of an action. La ventana ya estaba abierta cuando llegué. – The window was already open when I arrived. Esos edificios no estaban construidos en 1970. – Those buildings were not built in 1970.

3. When used with an adjective, it relates what state or condition the subject is in. ¡ Qué bonita estás hoy Veronica! How pretty you are (look) today Veronica! El té está caliente. – The tea is hot. Las uvas están verdes. The grapes are green (not ripe). ¿Cómo estás? How are you?

Ser denotes things far less acceptable to change…

viejito

Answer 3

Estar is generally temporary, although there are some exceptions. Like sisonte said, "estar" is normally used for emotions, feelings, states of being, and locations. However, in some cases you may use either correctly, but the use of one vs. the other alters the meaning of the sentence. For example:

• "Ricardo está enfermo." Ricardo is sick. (implying that he's just sick right now, and is expected to get better soon)
• "Ricardo es enfermo." Ricardo is sick/sickly. (Ricardo has a sickly constitution in general and/or is chronically ill.)

There are some exceptions that are just idiomatic (don't make sense) and you have to memorize, like:

• Estar casado/a (To be married)
• Estar muerto/a (To be dead)