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Brazilian Portuguese: When to use é and when to use está
I am practicing Portuguese and the book gives the following examples:
Where is the taxi? = onde está o táxi
Where is the restroom? = onde é o banheiro?
What is the rule in using está and using é?
Jan 3, 2013 6:10 PM
Answers · 7
2
This is a very difficult point for non portuguese speakers because most languages have the verb 'to be' with the same meaning either for SER (É) or for ESTAR (ESTÁ). The main difference is: É (verbo SER) is used for things that have permanent status and ESTÁ (verbo ESTAR) is used for things that have temporary status. That's why 'o taxi está' and 'o banheiro é'. This is what you have to know by now. For instance, I can say "Eu sou professor", that's what I do. I couldn't say "Eu estou professor" in a regular conversation, but it has a metaphorical meaning if I want to say that this is not my profission, I'm just doing this temporalily. However, it is too specific and you must not worry about that now. Remember only the difference I told you at first.
January 3, 2013
1
Try to think in "está" more like a situation, a moment, a state. Like, in this moment you can "be" sad, but you're not sad ALL the time in your life, so in this example you say: "Eu ESTOU triste" and not "eu SOU triste"
January 4, 2013
That's a simple question. A taxi can move, a bathroom can't. That's why we use estar and ser respectively.
January 5, 2013
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Language Skills
English, Portuguese, Russian
Learning Language
Portuguese, Russian
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