The Portuguese language has two different verbs that translate to “to be” in English.

These two verbs are ser and estar.

Learning when to use each one is an important step for English speakers.

The general rule is that ser is used for permanent states, while estar is used for temporary conditions.

I’ll explain exactly how to use both verbs with simple examples below.

The difference between ser and estar

In English, we use the verb “to be” for almost everything.

You use it to say your name, how you’re feeling, and where you are right now.

Portuguese splits these duties between two distinct verbs.

You must use ser to describe things that are permanent or unlikely to change.

You must use estar to describe things that are temporary or subject to change.

Understanding this core concept will help you choose the right verb in most situations.

Conjugating ser and estar

Before we look at specific usage rules, you need to know how to conjugate these verbs.

Both ser and estar are highly irregular verbs in Portuguese.

This means they don’t follow standard conjugation patterns.

Here’s how you conjugate both verbs in the present tense.

When to use ser (permanent states)

The verb ser describes your essence and permanent characteristics.

You use it to talk about your identity, nationality, profession, and physical traits.

It’s also the correct verb to use when telling the time or stating the date.

Here are a few examples of ser in action.

Notice how all of these sentences describe facts that don’t easily change.

A red car will always be a red car.

When to use estar (temporary states)

The verb estar describes your current state or location.

You use it to talk about your emotions, physical feelings, and where you’re located at a specific moment.

It’s also used to describe actions that are currently happening.

Here are a few examples of estar in action.

These sentences describe temporary states that will eventually change.

The soup will cool down, and the people will eventually rest and stop being tired.

Regional differences in Brazil and Portugal

There are a few differences in how Brazilians and the Portuguese use these verbs.

The biggest difference appears when using estar to describe ongoing actions.

In Brazil, you combine estar with a gerund verb ending in -ndo.

In Portugal, you combine estar with the preposition a and an infinitive verb.

Another major difference happens in casual spoken Brazilian Portuguese.

Brazilians frequently shorten the conjugations of estar in daily conversation.

The word estou becomes tô, and está becomes tá.

The Portuguese don’t shorten these written words in the same way.

They simply drop the first “e” sound when speaking quickly, making está sound like ‘tá.