"Ser bueno" and "Estar bueno": not the same thing?

“Ser” and “estar” are not the same thing, as the Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz tells us is his song “No es lo mismo” (here you can have a look at the lyrics in Spanish and its translation into English)

In a previous post, I wrote about the differences between “bien, bueno/a” and when to use one or the other. In another previous blog post I wrote about the million dollar question, the differences between “ser” and “estar”. In this one, I am going to combine both questions and shed some light on them. Don’t need to thank me now, guys, I’m here to help… 😉

Ok, here we go!

SER BUENO vs. ESTAR BUENO

– Ser bueno:

Talking about a person: ‘virtuous, upright‘

– Mi hijo es muy bueno, siempre se porta muy bien.
– My son is very upright, he always behaves.

Talking about a thing: ‘of good quality’, ‘beneficial‘

– Mi cazadora de cuero es buena, me costó carísima.
– My leather jacket is of good quality, it was very expensive.

– Hacer deporte es bueno.
– Sport is good for you.

– Estar bueno:

Talking about a person: ‘being healthy or very handsome‘

– Juan Diego Botto está muy bueno.
– Juan Diego Botto is very handsome.

Talking about food: ‘having a good taste‘

– Esta sopa está muy buena.
– This soup is very tasty.

SER MALO vs. ESTAR MALO

– Ser malo:

Referred to a person: ‘being evil, wicked‘

– Norman Bates es malo, malísmo.
– Norman Bates is evil, very evil.

Talking about a thing or an action: ‘of bad quality’ or ‘ harmful‘

– Este libro es muy malo, no pude terminar de leerlo.
– This book is very bad, I couldn’t even finishing reading it.

– Fumar es malo para la salud.
– Smoking is bad for you.

– Estar malo:

Talking about a person: ‘being sick, ill‘

– Hoy no voy a trabajar porque estoy malo.
– I am not going to work today because I am sick.

Referred to a food: ‘rotten‘.

– Esta manzana está mala, dáme otra.
– This apple is rotten, give me another one.

A VERY USEFUL LIST

Now, there are many other adjectives that change meaning depending on if they are with “ser” or “estar“. Let’s see some of them and learn some new vocabulary and expressions.

+ SER		+ ESTAR
aburrido	‘boring’ – Este libro es muy aburrido . – This book is very boring.	aburrido	‘bored’ – Estoy aburrida hoy, la clase es un tostón. – I am bored, today’s class is a drag.
atento	‘thoughtful, courteous’ – Mi novio es muy atento, siempre me trae flores por mi cumpleaños. – My boyfriend is very courteous, he always brings me flowers for my birthday.	atento	‘attentive’ – Tengo que estar más atenta en clase. – I need to be more attentive in class.
despierto	‘bright, sharp’ – Es un niño muy despierto. – He is a very sharp boy’	despierto	‘not sleep’ – Estoy despierta desde las 7 am. – I am awake since 7 am.
verde	‘green color’, ‘sexual’ – El vestido es verde. – The dress is green. – Es un chiste un poco verde. – It’s a blue joke.	verde	‘unripe, immature, not ready’ – La manzana está verde – The apple is green. – Aún estoy muy verde para presentarme al examen. – I am not ready yet to do the exam.
negro	‘black color’ – No me gusta el negro. – I don’t like black.	black	‘being angry’ – Estoy negra, se me ha roto el coche dos veces en una semana. – I’m furious, my car broke twice in a week.
orgulloso	‘arrogant’ – Sofía es demasiado orgullosa, no me gusta. – Sofia is too arrogant, I don’t like her.	orgulloso	‘pleased’ – Estoy muy orgullosa con el resultado. – I’m very pleased with the outcome.
listo	‘smart, intelligent’ – Este chico es muy listo, llegará lejos. – This boy is very smart, he will go a long way.	listo	‘ready’ – ¡Espérame, no estoy lista! – Wait, I’m not ready!
claro	‘light, pale’ – No me gustan los colores tan claros. – I don’t like such light colors.	claro	‘obvious, clear’ – Está claro que no es el culpable. – It’s obvious he’s not guilty.
abierto	‘extroverted’ – Ella es muy abierta, habla con todo el mundo. – She is very outgoing, she talks with every body.	abierto	‘open’ – La puerta está abierta. – The door is open.