EkGuru › Languages › Portuguese › Course › Ser and Estar — Two Verbs for To Be

Ser and Estar — Two Verbs for To Be

Written by: authorship not independently recorded. Maintained by Prakash. Reviewed by: not recorded. Updated: legacy editorial date unknown. Editorial policy and corrections.

Draft: not yet reviewed by a native speaker. Existing availability and indexing are preserved by owner instruction; that is not an editorial approval. Suggest a correction.

🔊 Tap any speaker button to hear the words on this page spoken. Too fast or slow? Use the speed button at the bottom-right of the page.

The most famous split in Portuguese: which "to be" for identity, which for states and places, plus ter for having and age.

Ser — identity and essence

Ser covers what things ARE: identity, origin, profession, material, time. Eu sou Ana (I am Ana), Ele é brasileiro (he is Brazilian), São três horas (it is three o'clock). Present tense: eu sou, tu és, ele/ela/você é, nós somos, eles/vocês são. Nationalities and professions after ser usually drop the article: Ela é médica (she is a doctor).

Estar — states and places

Estar covers HOW things are and WHERE they are: moods, conditions, locations. Eu estou cansada (I am tired), O livro está na mesa (the book is on the table). Present tense: eu estou, tu estás, ele/ela/você está, nós estamos, eles/vocês estão. Location always takes estar — even for immovable things: Lisboa fica em Portugal aside, Onde está o hotel? (where is the hotel?).

The pairs that change meaning

Some adjectives change meaning with the verb — the classic proof the split matters. Ele é bom means he is a good person; Ele está bom means he is well (recovered). A maçã é verde (the apple is green — its colour) vs A maçã está verde (the apple is unripe). Ser describes the norm; estar describes the state right now.

Ter — to have, and age

Possession uses ter: eu tenho, tu tens, ele/ela/você tem, nós temos, eles/vocês têm. Eu tenho um carro (I have a car). Like Spanish, Portuguese feels hunger, thirst, fear and cold with ter: Tenho fome (I am hungry), Tenho sede (I am thirsty). Age also uses ter: Tenho vinte anos (I am twenty years old, literally "I have twenty years").

Portuguese course Practice Quiz Review