After ser, the next verb learners usually meet is estar. And again: no need to overcomplicate it.
At the beginner level, estar is mainly used to talk about two things:
👉 how someone is
👉 where someone is
👉 the weather
That’s it.
1️⃣ COMO alguém está (HOW someone is)
We use estar to talk about states, feelings, and conditions – things that can change.
Examples:
- Estou bem.
- Estou cansada.
- Ela está feliz.
- Ele está doente.
These describe how someone is right now, not who they are.
2️⃣ ONDE alguém está (WHERE someone is)
We use estar to talk about location, especially when it’s temporary or situational.
Examples:
- Estou em casa.
- Ela está na escola.
- Ele está no trabalho.
- Estamos aqui.
It doesn’t matter if the place is a house, a café, or a city – if you’re talking about where someone is at the moment, estar is your verb.
3️⃣ COMO está o tempo (HOW is the weather)
Weather in Portuguese uses estar.
Examples:
- Está sol.
- Está calor.
- Está frio.
- Está nublado.
Because the weather changes, we talk about it with estar.
A simple way to remember
If you’re talking about:
- how someone is
- where someone is right now
- how the weather is
👉 ESTAR is your verb.
No timelines.
No exception lists.
No grammar gymnastics.
If you’re learning Portuguese to actually use it, this distinction becomes clear through exposure and repetition – not rules. Below are a few comprehensible input videos I’ve made about this verb.
And if you’re teaching or learning with comprehensible input, estar naturally follows ser in this exact way.
Até já 😊
Click here for ser and here for a deep dive on ser vs estar.