Ser or estar in present perfect

Question

Please can someone tell me why "El debe haber estado muy incomodo" uses the verb "estar" and why "él ha sido muy incomodo" uses "ser"? I have used your translation service and don't understand this. I thought "estar" would have been the correct verb to use. Thanks.

So the first one according to JulianChivi (a fluent Spanish speaker) means (with "de" added): He must have felt very uncomfortable. The second one would mean: He's been very discomforted (presumably by a situation he is in). Really different, No? - Jubilado, Jun 16, 2014

Answer 1

When we use ser with incómodo, we indicate something that causes discomfort, ie: Este trabajo es muy incómodo. Here a job causes someone discomfort.

When we use estar with incómodo, we indicate normally a person or animal that feels discomfort, ie: Mi jefe me hace sentir incómodo (estoy incómodo en la presencia de mi jefe). Here the guy´s boss makes him feel uncomfortable.

You haven´t given any context, so I just guess that your phrase "El debe haber estado muy incómodo" means the speaker believes someone must have felt uncomfortable. To indicate our belief of this condition we must use de with deber: Él debe de haber estado muy incómodo.

Answer 2

Hi Ukali

Welcome to the SpanishDict forum

1.El debe haber estado muy incómodo = He must have been very uncomfortable!

It says in Spanish Dict grammar section in the veerb section under estar : A person or things position or posture is also included in location.

I think that the verb estar is used in the first sentence because it directly relates to the person's posture

2.él ha sido muy incómodo"= He has been very uncomfortable.

I could be wrong/mistaken, but I think that this second example is in the passive voice which always uses the verb ser

The passive voice means that the action of the verb falls on the subject , in otherwords, the subject receives the action:

The active voice, in contrast to the passive, means that the subject performs the action.

Well, it is obvious that the subject ; in the second sentence he, does not carry out the action!

I hope this helps

Corrijan mi español, por favor

Answer 3

The verb estar is employed to describe a condition which by its nature is transitory e.g. happy, sad, sick, well, cold, warm, location, etc. all of which may change over the short term.

The verb ser is employed to describe attributes which tend to be rather more stable e.g. profession, identity, origin, innate attributes or characteristics such as kind, nice, deaf, old, etc. It is also used to describe political and religious affiliations, possession, time of day, and the nature of materials. All of these are stable attributes.

The following memory aid may help you in writing:

Estar from the Latin verb stare describes the state or condition of persons or things.

Ser from the Latin verb esse describes the essential attributes of persons and things

Ukali, apply this logic to your "uncomfortable" - padrin, Jun 16, 2014

So, using 'ser' would be incorrect in this case then? - ukali, Jun 16, 2014

Is death a transitory condition? Está muerto - Observer, Jun 16, 2014

There are two exceptions: use of estar with muerto, and use of ser meaning and event is to be held. I didn't want ot complicate the answer. - padrin, Jun 17, 2014