Hello Reny! I'll try to explain this in English, as I don't trust my French well enough to properly give you some tips about differentiating "ser" and "estar". This is usually a difficulty non-native speakers of Portuguese or Spanish have, because as you said, in languages like English and French "ser" and "estar" would both translate as "to be" or "être". The main difference between these two is the distinction between something that is inherent to the person/thing you're talking about versus something that is taken as temporary, a transient state of the thing or person in question. Maybe the best way to see this difference in action is by looking at the different meanings the use of each of these verbs can convey when used with adjectives. For example, take what in English would be the phrase "I'm anxious". You could translate that to Portuguese using the verb "ser" or "estar" depending on the context and what you want to say: [1] Eu sou ansioso. ("sou" = the verb "ser" conjugated in the first person (singular) of the Presente do Indicativo). [2] Eu estou ansioso. ("estou" = the verb "estar" conjugated in the first person (singular) of the Presente do Indicativo). Considering what I said above, when I use "ser" in the first sentence, it's like I'm saying that I am always anxious, that it's just the way I am, a characteristic quality of who I am, of my being. So, someone could ask you: Você se considera uma pessoa ansiosa? (Do you consider yourself an anxious person?) and you could answer: "SIm, eu sou muito ansioso" or "Não, eu não sou uma pessoa ansiosa". Now the second sentence. Saying that "Eu estou ansioso" states that you are feeling anxious on the precise moment you're saying that. It's a state of your being during that time, something that may change in the future. For example, you are about to give a lecture to a big audience and, at that moment, you're feeling anxious. Unfortunately,I reached the the limit of characters hah.I hope this helped you!

"Ser": is something permanent, such as physical and psychological characteristics, profession and nationality. For instance: Meu irmão é alto. (My brother is tall) Eu sou impaciente. (I am impatient) Minha mãe é professora. (My mother is a teacher) O meu amigo é italiano. (My friend is Italian) Estar: is something temporary, that is, it can be changed. Examples: Hoje está quente. (Today is hot) Meu filho está dormindo. (My son is sleeping) Amanhã estaremos na escola. (Tomorrow we will be at school) Estou com sede. (I am thirsty) Other exemples: João é nervoso (João é sempre nervoso-João is always nervy) João está nervoso (João está nervoso naquele momento, não é sempre assim-João is nervy in that especific moment, he is not always like that) Onde você está morando? (it's not a definite situation. At any moment this person can move out to another place) De onde Maria é? (onde Maria nasceu não é algo mutável-where Maria is from cannot be changed) There are some exceptions, but let's stop here, for now. ^_^ I hope this help u to understand the difference

People have explained it to you very well , but I am going to give you a tip that will be the key of an extra practical understanding. 0) "Ser" is about something quite permanent or immanent. "Estar" is about something circumstantial or accidental. 1) "Ser" is normally not followed by adverbs as a predicative itself, because adverbs are by nature circumstantial. 2) You use "estar" in continuous forms like "I am eating". 3) You use "ser" for passive voice. Some examples "Ele é cego". There is no expectation of him seeing in the future or he has been blind for a long time. "Ele está cego". There is expectation that he will see in the future or he has been blind recently. Therefore you can also say "Ele é um homem". (He is not a child or he is not a woman). "Ele está um homem". (For a child that grew up quickly). However, in these examples, you can only use "estar" because you are using "adverbs" as the core of the predicate... "Eu estou bem (adverb)". "Bem" is about interaction with environment. "Eu estou aqui (adverb)" "Eu estou em cima da mesa (adverbial phrase)" Also, in these examples, you can only use "estar" Eu estou comendo=Eu estou a comer... (I am eating) Eu estou dormindo=Eu estou a dormir... (I am sleeping) On the other hand for passive voice you use "ser". "A zebra foi comida pelo leão" (The zebra was eaten by the lion) Some times some sentences seem passive voice to english people but they are not quite that. "Eu estou destroçado pela (por + a) atuação deles" (I'm torn apart by their acting). However you should see it as "I am sad because of their acting". "Por" may mean "by" or "because of", which leads to confusion.

ser - you be a long time. some times all the live. estar - is a short time. today you be tomorrow maybe not. i like this phase " eu não estou bonita eu sou bonita". " I am not beautiful today I've always been beautiful. If you want set someone use the verb ser but if you want say for someone something about what you see just in a moment you use the verb estar.

ser - you be a long time. some times all the live. estar - is a short time. today you be tomorrow maybe not. i like this phase " eu não estou bonita eu sou bonita". " I am not beautiful today I've always been beautiful.