Ser vs estar: identity, state and location
The common “permanent vs temporary” rule is too weak. Use ser mainly for identity and classification, and estar mainly for states and location.
Soy neozelandés. identifies nationality. Estoy cansado. describes a state. Auckland está en Nueva Zelanda. gives location. With some adjectives, meaning changes: es aburrido versus está aburrido.
Yesterday’s gustar word order lesson also rewarded looking at sentence function instead of translating mechanically from English.
Quick check
Which sentence correctly gives Auckland's location?
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