Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Ser & Estar: Changes in Meaning with some adjectives

Ser aburrido - to be boring
Estar aburrido - to be bored

Ser borracho - to be a drunk(ard)
Estar borracho - to be drunk

Ser bueno - to be good
Estar bueno - to be in good heath (also has sexual connotations, SO BE CAREFUL!)

Ser callado - to be quiet
Estar callado - to be silent

Ser cansado - to be tiring
Estar cansado - to be tired

Ser completo - to be exhaustive, total
Estar completo - to not be lacking anything

*Ser consciente - to be conscientious
Estar consciente - to be aware of, conscious

*In Spain and South American countries like Colombia, ser consciente de is used to mean to be aware of

Ser despierto - to be alert, bright
Estar despierto - to be aware

Ser divertido - to be amusing
Estar divertido - to be amused

Ser entretenido - to be entertaining
Estar entretenido - to be occupied (involved)

Ser interesado - to be (a) mercenary (person)
Estar interesado - to be interested

Ser listo - to be witty, clever
Estar listo - to be ready

Ser malo - to be bad
Estar malo - to be sick

Ser nuevo - to be brand-new
Estar nuevo - to be like new

Ser seguro - to be sure to happen, safe (reliable)
Estar seguro - to be certain, sure (about something)

Ser verde - to be green (in color)
Estar verde - to be unripe

Ser vivo - to be lively, witty, bright (color)
Estar vivo - to be alive