We usually use the verb Ser - to be (~permanent) to describe characteristics that don’t change easily or often.
8 commom uses of verb Ser - to be (~permanent)
1. Use Ser for introductions
Eu sou Luciana. = I am Luciana.
Meu nome é Luciana. = My name is Luciana.
Este é Marcos. = This is Marcos.
2. Use Ser to express nationality or place of origin
Eu sou brasileira. = I am Brazilian.
Dani é do Brasil. = Dani is from Brazil.
Eles são americanos. = They are Americans.
3. Use Ser to state your profession
Eu sou professora. = I am a teacher.
Márcio é médico. = Márcio is a physician.
I can change my profession, right? But this is not something I change from one moment to the next or according to my mood. This is the spirit of the verb Ser.
4. Use Ser to indicate marital status
Joana é casada. = Joana is married.
Nós somos solteiros. = We are single.
Eles são divorciados. = They are divorced.
5. Use Ser to express relationships between people
Elas são irmãs. = They are sisters.
Vanessa e eu somos amigas. = Vanessa and I are friends.
João é meu chefe. = João is my boss.
6. Use Ser to indicate ownership
Este livro é meu. = This book is mine.
Essa é a casa da Camila. = This is Camila’s house.
7. Use Ser to describe permanent or long-lasting characteristics of people, places, and objects
Carol é muito engraçada. = Carol is very funny.
Este livro é muito bom. = This book is very good.
São Paulo é uma cidade fascinante. = São Paulo is a fascinating city.
João é um cara alegre. = João is a joyful guy.
Notice that these examples describe how people, places, and things are in general, not how they are just now or how they feel at the moment (that is the verb Estar’s job).
8. Use Ser to express dates and time
Hoje é quarta-feira. = Today is Wednesday.
Hoje é dia 9 de novembro. = Today is November’s 9th.
São onze horas. = It’s 11 am.
You may be thinking: “Wait! You just told me that I should use the verb Ser for permanent characteristics. It’s only 11 am for a minute.” I know, right? But we use the verb Ser for dates and the time. Rules can help us, but they won’t answer all our questions.
