Using Ser & Estar with feliz and contento

Question

Estar and Ser need to be conjugated and decide to use imperfect or preterite tense.

I'm not sure if the following sentences are correct or not. I have read a lot about using the verbs and feliz and contento almost interchangeably so I'm confused which is correct.

1. Mis padres estaban muy felices.

2. Toda la familia era muy contenta.

Answer 1

Actually "ser" can not be used for both sentences.When stating that the person has this quality as a characteristic you must use "feliz" . Your sentence with "estar" indicates that they were happy in the moment.

Revision: I have revised my statement above.

After checking several sources, and finding that there are some folks who would use "ser" with contento, I have found that most scholars agree that it should not be so.

If you said that your parents son/eran felices, it would indicate that this quality was part of their character.

You can say that "Toda la famila estaba contenta." in that they were rejoicing over the fact that Dad had won the lottery.

The two words, "feliz" and "contento" are practically synonymous. There is a wee bit of difference that is hard to explain. Generally if you are going to express a characteristic instead of a condition I would use "feliz" But feliz can also be used to express the emotion of the moment. (emotional condition.)

Now with regard to which tense to use. If what you are saying is in any sense a description as in a narrative, use the imperfect. If it is a momentary thing the preterite is better. Cuando oí la noticia estuve muy feliz/contenta. When I heard the news, I was very happy.

I believe I have it right this time. I hope I got all the little buggies out. - Daniela2041, Dec 3, 2016

Thank you for the help! - creative14, Dec 3, 2016

Answer 2

I think estar is used for mis padres and ser is used for la familia since feliz can also describe personality and contento doesn't as much.

x

Estar and Ser need to be conjugated and decide to use imperfect or preterite tense.

You have to understand the difference between both ser and estar and contento and feliz.

Ser refers to defining characteristics, estar to states/conditions.

Contento is the state of being happy. It is always used with estar, at least as far as I can tell or have seen.

Feliz is a characteristic of being happy. It is traditionally used with ser. That being said, in Latin America feliz is being used more and more with either- soy feliz- I am a happy person, estoy feliz- I am happy now.

If you are really also being asked to pick between preterit and imperfect, without context I don't know how to do it. To me either are possible given the context. If I was forced, since feliz is the longer lasting stage I might pick imperfect for that one, and preterit for contento as it is shorter duration, but you could easily find context for either with either.

So the only thing I would say is definitive is that you should use estar with contento.

I don't see that mis padres vs. la familia has anything to do with it.

I would be interested in other opinions.

Is this homework with one answer, or just a question you made up?

References.

http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/145158/ser-vs.-estar-with-the-word-feliz

http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/ser-estar-contento.892306/

Okay, Daniela says contento can be used with ser as well, I will defer to her greater knowledge. :) - bosquederoble, Dec 3, 2016

It can be, but generally isn't. - Daniela2041, Dec 3, 2016

Thanks, Daniela. :) - bosquederoble, Dec 3, 2016

In fact, you are grammatically correct. I was going by what I have read by several Spanish speakers whose knowledge of grammar is not perfect. - Daniela2041, Dec 3, 2016

So I have revised my remarks as you will see above. Check out my post. - Daniela2041, Dec 3, 2016

Anyway for a lower level Spanish class, I would pair estar with contento and feliz with ser, whatever the real world usage is. :) - bosquederoble, Dec 3, 2016

Okay :) So: Mis padres eran muy felices & Toda la familia estaba muy contenta. - creative14, Dec 3, 2016

¡Yupí! ¡Diste en el clavo! - Daniela2041, Dec 3, 2016

That is the to me the best single option for what you have given us. :) - bosquederoble, Dec 3, 2016

Also to reply to Daniela's comment, this is homework with "one answer" - creative14, Dec 3, 2016

Answer 3

Link for Ser y Estar.

Please study this then come back with your answer and we may correct it for you.

Answer 4

Ser & Estar

Answer 5

The directions just say to describe what Anita and her family used to do when she was a child.

Verbs: cocinar, ir, mirar, ser, estar, jugar, reunirse (Each will be used once)

I think these would be correct?

1) Mi familia y yo íbamos de vacaciones todos juntos en el verano.

2) Nosotros siempre nos reuníamos para celebrar las fiestas más importantes.

3) El Día de Acción de Gracias, mi mamá cocinaba pavo y puré de (mashed) papas.

4) A veces yo miraba programas especiales en la televisión.

5) Mis padres eran muy felices.

6) Mis hermanos y yo jugábamos a los videojuegos.

7) Toda la familia estaba muy contenta.

Used to usually matches with imperfect. :) - bosquederoble, Dec 3, 2016

Used to "do"????? That doesn't match up with what was given. The original sentences describe an emotional state or an emotional characteristic. - Daniela2041, Dec 3, 2016

Yes used to be would make much more sense. :) - bosquederoble, Dec 3, 2016

¡Fanástico! Todos son correctos. - Daniela2041, Dec 3, 2016

Do all of the conjugations of the verbs above look correct? - creative14, Dec 3, 2016

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the post, they were all marked correct :) - creative14, Dec 3, 2016

Answer 6

I think estar is used for mis padres and ser is used for la familia since feliz can also describe personality and contento doesn't as much.

I feel like they are right but I am still confused.

1. Mis padres estaban muy felices.

2. Toda la familia era muy contenta.