Ser vs. estar

Identity, profession and origin

• Soy maestra.I'm a teacher.
• Mis padres son de Cuba.My parents are from Cuba.

Traits that describe what something is like

• Mi abuela es muy alegre.My grandmother is very cheerful.

Time, dates and possession

• Son las tres.It's three o'clock.
• Hoy es lunes.Today is Monday.
• El carro es de mi tío.The car is my uncle's.

Where an event takes place

• La fiesta es en mi casa.The party is at my house.

Location of people and things

• Mi hermano está en Miami.My brother is in Miami.
• La Habana está en Cuba.Havana is in Cuba.

Even permanent locations take estar.

Temporary states, moods and conditions

• Estoy cansado.I'm tired.
• La sopa está caliente.The soup is hot.

Actions in progress, with the gerund

• Estamos comiendo.We're eating.

Aburrido: boring with ser, bored with estar

• La clase es aburrida.The class is boring.
• Estoy aburrido.I'm bored.

Listo: clever with ser, ready with estar

• Tu hija es lista.Your daughter is clever.
• La comida está lista.The food is ready.

Rico: wealthy with ser, delicious with estar

• Ese hombre es rico.That man is rich.
• El arroz está rico.The rice is delicious.

Malo: bad with ser, sick or gone off with estar

• Ese perro es malo.That dog is mean.
• La leche está mala.The milk has gone bad.

Muerto takes estar, even though death is permanent

• Mi abuelo está muerto.My grandfather is dead.

Casado usually takes estar in everyday speech

• Estoy casado.I'm married.

Contento always takes estar, but feliz can take either

• Estoy contento con el trabajo.I'm pleased with the job.
• Soy feliz aquí.I'm happy here.
• Estoy feliz con la noticia.I'm happy about the news.

Textbooks teach ser with feliz, but estar feliz is very common in Latin America, especially for happiness about something right now.