Both of these verbs mean ‘to be’, however they are used differently depending on the context. The best way to distinguish between the two is that ‘ser’ is normally used when talking about something which is permanent and ‘estar’ is used when talking about something which is temporary. Although this is a general rule, there are always exceptions to rules in Spanish, for example, locations are typically considered to be permanent, however we use the verb ‘estar’.
These are some examples of when ‘ser’ is used-
- Descriptions eg. The town is pretty= El pueblo es hermoso.
- Dates and times eg. Today is Monday= Hoy es el lunes.
It’s 5 o’clock= Son las cinco.
- Occupations eg. I am a doctor= Soy medico/a.
- Origin/nationality eg. I am English= Soy inglés/inglesa.
I am from England= Soy de Inglaterra.
These are some examples of when ‘estar’ is used-
- Locations eg. The market is to the right= El mercado está a la derecha.
- Emotion eg. I am sad= Estoy triste.
- Health eg. I am ill= Estoy enfermo/a.