Ser vs Estar in Spanish: Using estar (not ser) when talking about physical condition of something, someone or a place
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Estar for physical condition/result
One of the uses of estar (not ser) is to talk about the physical condition of something, someone or a place. This specific use of estar is used for non-permanent conditions, i.e. it's seen as a result. Have a look and listen to these examples:
¡Vaya! Mis gafas están rotas.Oops! My glasses are broken.
Sus pantalones estaban sucios.His trousers were dirty.
¡Qué sorpresa! La habitación de mi hija está ordenada.What a surprise! My daughter's room is tidy.
Marina, estás muy guapa hoy.Marina, you look very pretty today.
Remember, this use of estar is not about describing an essential or inherent characteristic of someone or something. Instead, we use it to describe how someone or something is at a particular moment.
For example, in our last example, we said:
"Marina, estás muy guapa hoy". (Marina, you look very pretty today.)
This doesn't necessarily mean that Marina is a pretty person in general (although she might be!). It means that Marina looks particularly pretty today. Maybe she's done something different with her hair, maybe she's wearing a lovely new dress, or maybe it's just one of those days when she happens to look especially good!
For descriptions of inherent characteristics using ser, see Ser vs Estar in Spanish: Using ser in Spanish (not estar) to express an essential characteristic.
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