SER X ESTAR Copula One of the simplest constructions in any language is the ability to express a relation of equality between nouns, or between nouns and adjectives. This construction is often called copula, the Latin word for ‘link’, ‘bond’. For example: John is tall. This sentence links together the nouns (‘John’) with an adjective or noun (‘tall’). In English, this is achieved by using the helper verb ‘to be’. In Portuguese, we have actually two verbs to be: Ser, which comes from the old Latin verb esse, which meant to be. Estar, which comes from the old Latin verb stare, which meant to stand There are two words in English which also come from these two Latin verbs: From esse, we have English essence; and from stare, we have English status. So, we use ser when we want to describe the essence of something, or how a thing is always; and we use estar when we want to describe somethings status, or how a thing is at the moment. Using ser and estar- Usando Ser e Estar O moço é bonito. O moço está bonito. Both sentences above translate to the young man is handsome; however, in the first case, we mean that the young man is naturally handsome, like George Clooney. In the second case, we mean that he is more handsome than usual -- typically because he is dressing nice clothes, got a haircut, or otherwise accessorized himself. He may or may not be handsome normally, but we want to call attention to the fact that he is prettier due to some temporary condition. Source: Wikibooks.org
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 12:03:49 +0000
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