In Brazilian Portuguese, both ser and estar are equivalent to the English verb “to be,” but they are used in different contexts. Usually the distinction depends on whether you are describing a permanent/long-term situation (ser) or a temporary situation (estar).
- serEu sou brasileiro.Translation: I am Brazilian.a permanent situation
- estarPedro está doente.Translation: Pedro is sick.a temporary situation
However, these rules are not absolute. For example, sometimes the meaning of an adjective will change depending on whether you use it with ser or estar. Therefore, it’s important to understand the specific contexts that call for the use of ser vs. estar. Want to know more about the nuances of using these verbs in Brazilian Portuguese? Keep reading!
When to use ‘ser’ in Brazilian Portuguese?
In Brazilian Portuguese, the verb ser meaning to be expresses characteristics that are intrinsic to a person or a thing. It’s therefore most commonly used to describe a condition that can be considered permanent or that is not often changeable. However, there are also a few situations where ser has other functions as well. Let’s look at all the uses of ser below.
Using ‘ser’ for identifying information
We use ser to provide uniquely identifying information about people, animals, or things. For example, we use ser to give the name of someone or something:
- Oi! Eu sou a Juliana e esse é o meu gato Palmito.Translation: Hi! I’m Juliana and this is my cat Palmito.
- Speaker A:O que é isto na cozinha?Translation: What is this in the kitchen?Speaker B:Ah, isto é uma lava louças.Translation: Oh, this is a dishwasher.
But we also use ser for other kinds of essentially identifying information, like nationality, occupation, ideology, place of origin, ownership, material (i.e. what something is made of), family relationships, and characteristic qualities (e.g. personality, size, shape,...).
Let’s go through some of the most common types of identifying information.
Using ‘ser’ for nationality, occupation, ideology, and origin
Ser meaning to be is used to describe someone’s nationality, occupation, ideology, or origin. For example:
- Nationality:Carlos e Vera são brasileiros.Translation: Carlos and Vera are Brazilian.
- Occupation:Vera é engenheira.Translation: Vera is an engineer.
- Ideology:Carlos é católico.Translation: Carlos is Catholic.
- Origin:O sushi é uma comida japonesa.Translation: Sushi is a Japanese food.
Notice that in all the situations above, ser indicates a permanent (or presumably permanent) state. If it is something that can change (e.g. occupation), it is something that would only change with quite a bit of time and effort.
Using ‘ser + de’ and ‘ser + feito de’ to express what something is made of
We can also use the same structure ser + de literally to be of or ser + feito de literally to be made of, to say what something is made out of, as in:
- O sushi é de arroz e peixe.Translation: Sushi is (made) of rice and fish.
- O sushi é feito de arroz e peixe.Translation: Sushi is made of rice and fish.
Here’s another example:
- Este pulôver é de lã.Translation: This pullover is (made) of wool.
- Este pulôver é feito de lã.Translation: This pullover is made of wool.
Using ‘ser + de’ to express ownership / possession
You can also use the expression ser + de can express possession or ownership of something, as in:
Using ‘ser’ for family and relationships
We also use the verb ser to talk about the members of the family and to specify relationships.
- Eu e Carlos somos casados. Miguel é solteiro.Translation: Carlos and I are married. Miguel is single.
- Tainá é filha de Carlos e Vera. Tainá e Felipe são amigos.Translation: Tainá is the daughter of Carlos and Vera. Taina and Felipe are friends.
Check out this list with some words for family members and relationships in Brazilian Portuguese to start practicing!
Using ‘ser’ to express characteristic qualities
The verb ser can also be used to describe other permanent characteristics – features that someone or something has regardless of the situation. Often this means that ser is used to describe personality or permanent physical traits like size, color, texture, and more. For example:
- Felipe é alto, simpático e calmo.Translation: Felipe is tall, friendly, and calm.
- Estes carros são pretos.Translation: These cars are black.
The examples above describe attributes that are inherent to the subjects (as the traits are part of their identity). The descriptions provide information that allow us to recognize the subjects. These physical aspects and personality traits are not easily changeable, so they are usually used to identify something or someone, which means we use ser!
Using ‘ser’ to express permanent location
In Brazilian Portuguese, we describe someone or something’s permanent location with ser. This usage normally refers to the location of cities, countries, and general places.
- Roma é na Itália.Translation: Rome is in Italy.
- O supermercado não é perto da minha casa.Translation: The supermarket is not close to my house.
Note how both locations above also convey the idea of permanence.
What are the other uses of ‘ser’ in Brazilian Portuguese?
The verb ser has a few other uses in which it does not describe a permanent situation. We use ser to talk about the time and to construct the passive voice. Let’s review each use!
Using ‘ser’ to talk about time
We use the verb ser to indicate the time of day and to express the date.
Time of day:
We use the verb ser to introduce the time of day:
- Já são duas horas.Translation: It’s already two o'clock.
- Vamos, é meio-dia!Translation: Come on, it's noon!
- O casamento será às oito horas.Translation: The wedding will be at two o'clock.
For more about telling the time in Brazilian Portuguese, check out our other post!
Expressing the date:
The verb ser is used to specify dates, such as days of week, months, and holidays.
- Ontem foi domingo.Translation: Yesterday was Sunday.
- Hoje é meu aniversário!Translation: Today is my birthday!
- O Natal é no dia 25 de dezembro.Translation: Christmas is on the 25th of December.
Check out our post on expressing the date in Brazilian Portuguese to learn more!
Using ‘ser’ in the passive voice
In Brazilian Portuguese, ser is commonly used as an auxiliary verb in passive voice constructions. For example:
In the example above, the passive voice is formed with the auxiliary ser in the preterite, followed by the participle form of the verb dividir.
For a full explanation about the use of passive voice in Brazilian Portuguese, don't miss our post!
When to use ‘estar’ in Brazilian Portuguese?
Unlike ser, the verb estar meaning to be typically is used in descriptions of temporary states or situations. It is used to refer to location, emotional or physical feelings, and other conditions that are likely to change. Let’s take a look at some of these situations below.
Using ‘estar’ for feelings, physical states, and conditions
We use the verb estar to refer to physical and emotional states at a particular moment. In this case, estar is followed by an adjective that describes the feeling or state.
In the example above, Luiza expresses a temporary feeling — cansada meaning tired. Such a feeling is not permanent, since it can easily change; tomorrow, for instance, she may feel happy or relaxed, as we don’t feel the same way everyday.
When to use ‘estar’ vs. ‘estar com’ for a feeling?
In many cases where we describe physical states and conditions, it’s common to use the phrase estar com instead of the plain estar. The difference between the two is that estar com always comes before a noun, while estar comes before an adjective.
- estar com
noun
- estar
adjective
Compare:
Let’s look at some cases where estar com is particularly common. Notice, as you read through the examples, that many expressions with estar com are translated into English as “to have” instead of “to be”.
We especially use estar com + noun as a way to refer to illnesses, though this is not universal.
nounEle está com dor de dente e está com gripe.Translation: He has a toothache and he has the flu.adjectiveEle está gripado.Translation: He has the flu.Compare: He is sick (with flu).It’s also common to use estar com + noun to describe certain physical states and feelings, in many cases those that are linked to a response in the body.
nounEu estou com fome e estou com sono.Translation: I’m hungry and I’m sleepy.Literally: I am with hunger and am with sleepiness.Estar com can also indicate possession of something.
Speaker A:Paulo, você está com a chave?Translation: Paulo, do you have the key?Speaker B:Sim, estou.Translation: Yes, I have it.In the example above, estar com indicates that Paulo is currently holding the keys. We could also say:
Paulo, você tem a chave?Translation: Paulo, do you have the key?Although both sentences are correct, they slightly differ in meaning: estar com focuses on the key being present and currently accessible with an implied meaning of temporality. Ter, on the other hand, simply asks if the person possesses the key, and not necessarily if they are holding the key right now.
Now, you can check this list to see the most common uses of estar com in Brazilian Portuguese!
Using ‘estar’ to describe the weather
The verb estar is commonly used when describing the weather, since this is something that can change frequently and quickly.
Notice that, in this context, estar is used as an impersonal verb, which means that it’s always used in the third-person singular form. There are many other impersonal expressions that are used in descriptions of the weather. You can take a look at this post about impersonal verbs to see other possible ways to describe weather in Brazilian Portuguese!
Using ‘estar’ to give a temporary location
Where ser indicates permanent location, the verb estar describes a temporary location. For this reason, estar is commonly used to talk about the location of people or things.
- Speaker A:Onde você está?Translation: Where are you?Speaker B:Eu estou em casa.Translation: I am at home.
- Speaker A:Onde está a minha bolsa?Translation: Where’s my bag?Speaker B:A sua bolsa está no armário.Translation: Your bag is in the closet.
When it introduces a location, the verb estar is usually followed by the preposition em meaning in, at or one of its contractions no, na, nos, nas meaning in the, depending on the gender and number of the accompanied noun.
What are the other uses of ‘estar’ in Brazilian Portuguese?
Aside from using estar for temporary qualities, you will also use the verb estar in Brazilian Portuguese in progressive tenses and in uses of the passive voice that emphasize the final result of an action. Let’s look at each use one by one.
Using ‘estar’ in progressive tenses
Much like the verb “to be” in English, estar functions as an auxiliary verb in progressive tenses.
Much like the English “be + verb-ing” structure, a Brazilian Portuguese progressive structure indicates an ongoing action or state and implies that the action is happening at the moment of speech.
Using ‘estar’ to express a final result in the passive voice
Much like ser, the verb estar can be used as an auxiliary verb in the passive voice, where it is followed by a participle of the main verb.
Notice, though, that there is an important difference in focus: in the passive with ser, the emphasis is on the action that led to the result, while the passive voice with estar emphasizes the result of the action.
‘Ser’ vs. ‘estar’: Some tricky distinctions
Now that you are more familiar with the general usages and contexts in which ser and estar appear, you’ll see that these two verbs can also be followed by the same adjectives, and which verb you use will create a subtle difference in meaning. We'll have a closer look below.
There are certain adjectives in Brazilian Portuguese that can follow either ser or estar. However, after ser they describe inherent or permanent traits while, after estar, they describe temporary traits. For example:
Let’s see another example:
In other cases, the adjectives themselves will change meaning more significantly, depending on whether they are used with ser or estar. For example:
Take a look at this handy list of comparing ser and estar followed by the same adjective to see more interesting examples.
In summary
You can check this handy summary that outlines the different uses of ser and estar. Keep in mind that:
ser is usually connected to permanent/long-lasting statements or inherent characteristics
estar is used in temporary situations
However, this is not an absolute rule, and context plays an important role in determining which verb to use.
In addition, ser and estar sometimes can be followed by the same adjective, but their usage may vary depending on the context and meaning that you want to convey.
Now you can check out our activity to practice using both ser and estar in Brazilian Portuguese! Happy learning!
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