Ser vs estar vs ficar in Portuguese: when to use each

Use ser for what something is: identity, origin, profession, character, time and dates. Use estar for how or where something is right now: moods, temporary conditions, the weather and the location of people and objects. Use ficar for where buildings and places are, for becoming (ficar cansado) and for staying (ficar em casa).

Ser: what something is

Ser answers the question "what is it, who is it, what is it like?" It is irregular in every tense, so learn the present first: sou, é, somos, são, plus és for tu in Portugal.

Look at the profession line: Portuguese drops the article. English speakers say Ela é uma enfermeira because English needs "a," but the natural sentence is Ela é enfermeira. The article comes back only when you add a description: Ela é uma enfermeira excelente. Time is plural from two o'clock on: É uma hora, but São duas horas.

Estar: how or where something is now

Weather is a classic English-speaker error. "It is cold" tempts you to say É frio, but Portuguese uses estar for the weather right now: Está frio, Está calor. You will also hear Faz frio and Faz calor, especially for the climate in general.

Same adjective, different meaning

Many adjectives work with both verbs, and the choice changes what you are saying. Ser describes what someone or something is like; estar describes how they seem or are at the moment.

Ficar: the third verb English speakers forget

Textbooks often present ser versus estar as a pair, but in real Portuguese a third verb, ficar, does a lot of the work that English gives to "be," "get," "become" and "stay." Its main jobs:

1. Where a place is. For buildings, cities and anything that does not move, Onde fica a estação? is the most common way to ask where the station is. O hotel fica perto da praia, the hotel is near the beach. Sintra fica perto de Lisboa. Onde é a estação? is also common and correct. Onde está a estação? will be understood, but ficar is what you will hear most.
2. Becoming, getting. Fiquei cansado, I got tired. Ela ficou surpresa, she was surprised. Ele ficou rico, he got rich. English speakers reach for tornar-se here, but that verb is for lasting changes of identity: Ela se tornou médica in Brazil, Ela tornou-se médica in Portugal.
3. Staying. Hoje vou ficar em casa, I'm staying home today. Fiquei num hotel perto da praia, I stayed at a hotel near the beach.
4. Keeping. Ficar com means to keep or take: Pode ficar com o troco, keep the change. In a shop, Vou ficar com este means I'll take this one.
5. Suiting. Essa cor fica bem em você in Brazil, Essa cor fica-te bem in Portugal: that color looks good on you.
6. Agreeing to do something. Ele ficou de ligar means he said he would call. It is very common in both countries, and you will not guess it from English.

Why "permanent versus temporary" lets you down

The rule most English speakers learn first is ser for permanent, estar for temporary. It works often enough to be dangerous. Death is permanent, yet Ele está morto uses estar, because it describes a state. A meeting lasts one hour, yet A reunião é amanhã uses ser, because it locates an event. Being a student is temporary, yet you say Sou estudante, because it is what you are. A more reliable question is: am I saying what something is, or the state or position it is in? Then remember that fixed places take ficar.

Marital status is a good example of usage beating logic. Asked Você é casado?, the usual answer is Sou or Sou casado, with ser. Estar casado also exists, but ser is the everyday form for stating it.

Mistakes English speakers make, corrected

One more habit to borrow: Portuguese usually answers a yes or no question by repeating the verb instead of saying sim. Você está cansado? Estou. Você é americano? Sou. The verb you choose in the answer has to match, which makes this a quick daily check on ser and estar.

These three verbs settle in when you use them in real exchanges: asking where the station is, saying you are tired after a long day, telling someone you stayed at a hotel near the beach. Say each of the example sentences out loud, then build your own about today.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between ser and estar in Portuguese?

Ser says what something is: identity, origin, profession, characteristics, time and where events happen. Estar says how or where something is at the moment: feelings, temporary conditions, weather and the location of people and objects.

When do you use ficar instead of estar?

Use ficar for the location of fixed places, as in Onde fica a estação?, and for getting into a state, as in Fiquei cansado. It also means to stay, to keep with ficar com, and to suit someone.

Do you say sou casado or estou casado?

Sou casado is the usual way to say you are married. Estar casado also exists, but ser is the everyday form when someone asks about your marital status.

Is it é frio or está frio?

For the weather right now, say está frio or faz frio. É frio describes something that is cold by nature, such as a place with a cold climate, not today's temperature.