Answers
Apr 08, 2014 - 05:43 PM
When you talk about a location, the difference is between a physical location vs an event location. For physical locations you use ESTAR: the metro station is a physical location, and unless you're having a party there or a football game it's not an event location.
For event location, you use SER: a stadium has events. You will see later I believe the use of "donde es la fiesta", it's the same idea, a fiesta is an event.
So to recap: is this location a place where we are concerned about what happens there? Yes = ES, no = ESTAR. La fiesta es en la estacion de metro. Donde está la estacion de metro? Hope this helps :)
For event location, you use SER: a stadium has events. You will see later I believe the use of "donde es la fiesta", it's the same idea, a fiesta is an event.
So to recap: is this location a place where we are concerned about what happens there? Yes = ES, no = ESTAR. La fiesta es en la estacion de metro. Donde está la estacion de metro? Hope this helps :)
Apr 08, 2014 - 07:55 PM
Sonia explains this in the tutorial video for Spanish LA 1-28. Basically, she says that "ser" is used for a definite location, whereas "estar" is used for a temporary location. Eg, ser is used for the location of a building: "El edificio es allá." And estar is used for the location of a car that's temporarily parked on a street: "Mi auto está en esa calle".
Apr 08, 2014 - 09:07 PM
@skykid14.... I agree totally with your explanation of permanent vs. temporary location, as Sonia had earlier explained it. However, in the two examples which I have given above, both seemed to me to be permanent locations.... a metro station and a soccer stadium. That is why I thought that both should require the use of SER. As you can see above, Fabrice Gille raises an interesting argument based on the concept of what he calls an "event location." This was an idea I had not heard of before, and I don't think Sonia has mentioned it up to now in the tutorials. Hopefully she will comment on this point of grammar either here or in a future lesson..
Apr 08, 2014 - 10:29 PM
Take a look at http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/s..., they mention this too: Let's distinguish between origin, location, and "to take place." To describe origin, or where something is from, use ser. To describe location, or where something is located right now, use estar. To tell where an event is taking place, use ser.
Mónica es de España. (origin)
Mónica está en Venezuela. (location)
La fiesta es en la casa de Mónica. (taking place)
and
http://spanish.about.com/od/usingpart...
"Although the Spanish verb estar typically is used to describe where a person or thing is located, when speaking of events ser must be used. Both verbs typically can be translated as "to be." But if the verb can also be translated as "to take place" or "to be held," ser must be used.
What Sonia explains is correct in general (permanent = SER vs temporary = ESTAR), but there is an additional twist on it when it comes to location.
Mónica es de España. (origin)
Mónica está en Venezuela. (location)
La fiesta es en la casa de Mónica. (taking place)
and
http://spanish.about.com/od/usingpart...
"Although the Spanish verb estar typically is used to describe where a person or thing is located, when speaking of events ser must be used. Both verbs typically can be translated as "to be." But if the verb can also be translated as "to take place" or "to be held," ser must be used.
What Sonia explains is correct in general (permanent = SER vs temporary = ESTAR), but there is an additional twist on it when it comes to location.
Apr 09, 2014 - 11:45 AM
Grammatical rules for "ser" and "estar" usually begin with "Generally speaking ..." There is no official authority for Spanish grammar like there is for French grammar (L'Académie française). So, generally speaking, many use "ser" to mean existence, and "estar" to mean location.