Ser Vs Estar
One of the most common verbs in spanish is an irregular verb called "ser". Here are the present-tense conjugations for "ser":
Yo soy
Tú eres
El/Ella/Usted es
Nosotros somos
Vosotros sois
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes son
Both "ser" and "estar" mean "to be", but they are used in different contexts.
"Estar" is used for:
Nosotros estamos en Costa Rica. (We are in Costa Rica)
Las toallas estan en el bano. (The towels are in the bathroom.)
Tú estas estudiando espanol (You are studying Spanish.)
El bebe esta llorando (The baby is crying)
"Ser" is used for:
Ellos son bomberos (They are firefighters)
Yo soy un doctor (I am a doctor.)
Hoy es lunes (Today is monday.)
Manana es martes (Tomorrow is Tuesday.)
El coche es de Alemania (The car is from Germany.)
Tú eres de Florida. (You are from Florida.)
La mesa es de madera (The table is wooden.)
El anillo es hecho de oro (The ring is made from gold.)
El libro es de Maria (The book belongs to Maria.)
El perro es de mi amigo (The dog belongs to my friend.)
Using "ser" and "estar" with adjectives
"estar" is used when the adjective is temporary, while "ser" is used when the adjective is permanent or long-lasting
El semaforo esta rojo (The traffic light is red.)
El coche es rojo (The car is red.)
The color of a traffic light is temporary because it changes frequently. In contrast, the color of a car is permanent or long-lasting because it does not change frequently. It's very common for traffic lights to change color but it's not common for cars to change color.
Let's take a look at sentences that use "ser" or "estar" with an adjective: