ser

Senses

1. 1.

   to be (permanent state, identity, essence)

   Express identity, profession, or inherent quality: 'Eu sou médico' (I am a doctor).

2. 2.

   to be (existence)

   Indicate existence or occurrence: 'Isso não pode ser' (That cannot be).

3. 3.

   to be (material, composition)

   Describe what something is made of: 'A mesa é de madeira' (The table is made of wood).

4. 4.

   to be (time, date)

   Express time or date: 'Que horas são?' (What time is it?); 'Hoje é terça' (Today is Tuesday).

Examples

• "Eu sou arquiteto e trabalho em São Paulo."

  I am an architect and work in São Paulo.

• "Qual é a cor do seu carro? - É azul."

  What is the color of your car? - It's blue.

• "Que horas são agora? - São três horas da tarde."

  What time is it now? - It's three o'clock in the afternoon.

Usage

*Ser* is one of the two main copulas in Brazilian Portuguese; use it for permanent or long-term states, identity, professions, and characteristics. Estar is used for location and temporary states. High-frequency, highly irregular verb (sou, és, é, somos, sois, são in present indicative).