Difference between Soy and Estoy.
Am I confused or do they both mean "I am". I am only in the first two lessons and am already confused.
Like when you say "Estoy triste" is it wrong to say "Soy triste"? Likewise, when you say "Soy pelirroja" is it wrong to say "Estoy pelirroja"?
If it is wrong, then why? If it doesn't matter, then what form is most commonly used?
5 Answers
Soy borracho = I am a drunkard
Estoy borracho = I am drunk.
The two "to be" verbs can be very usefull.
Hang on to your hat because this is a question that is going to plague you for some time. To put it simply, Soy... is I am as in I am a teacher, carpenter, etc, nationality religion, I am a nice guy, you get the picture. Estoy... is I am feeling sick, I am cold, I am well etc. as in a state of being.
There are loads of articles out there on the interweb which explain it very well and which are pretty easy to find:
Here you go http://spanish.about.com/cs/verbs/a/servsestar.htm
There are also quizzes which help you to test your own understanding.
It matters which verb you use, because they do have slightly distinct meanings. The only problem that English doesn't really have things like this. I've thought of it like soy being the definer and estoy being the describer.
- Soy is the more official verb, describing who you are by using terms of vocation or nationality, or something else that externally defines you as a person. If the word is a noun like carpintero, (carpenter, to use Mainer's example), you can expect to use the verb soy.- "Soy un carpintero." (Words like pelirroja can be an exception to this but you can still see how it defines you externally.)
- Estoy is the more unofficial verb, describing you with more of a "how are you" approach than the "who are you" approach. If the word is an adjective, like triste, (sad), you can expect to use the verb estoy.- "Estoy triste."
There are a few exceptions to almost every linguistic rule, but with practice you should be able to take them as they come. Hope that helps 
I believe that this is not difficult at all.
Soy (I am) is permanent i.e. I am a man, Soy un hombre. Not likely to change. Estoy (I am) is temporary i.e. I am here, estoy aqui. Certainly will change.
