Portuguese · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 39
Estou cansadoI am tired
How I feel right now: estou cansado, estou feliz, estou nervoso. The verb "estar" with an adjective says a passing state — today, at this moment — unlike "ser", which says how you always are.
Dialogue
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Sou cansado / Estou cansado
- BiaOi, Mike! Tudo bem? Você quer ir ao cinema?Hi, Mike! How are you? Do you want to go to the cinema?
- MikeOi, Bia. Hoje não... sou cansado.Hi, Bia. Not today... I am tired. (slip: state → "estar", not "ser": "estou cansado")
- BiaCansaço é passageiro, então é "estou cansado", com "estar".Tiredness is temporary, so it is "estou cansado", with "estar".
- MikeAh, claro. Estou cansado hoje. Ontem trabalhei muito.Ah, of course. I am tired today. Yesterday I worked a lot.
- BiaEntendo. E como você é normalmente? Calmo ou agitado?I see. And what are you like normally? Calm or restless?
- MikeAí sim uso "ser": sou calmo. Mas agora estou com sono. Amanhã vamos?There I do use "ser": I am calm. But right now I am sleepy. Shall we go tomorrow?
Dialogue
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Como todo mundo está hoje— How everyone is today
- LucasBom dia, Bia. Você está animada hoje!Good morning, Bia. You are cheerful today!
- BiaEstou! Estou muito feliz: terminei o meu projeto.I am! I am very happy: I finished my project.
- LucasQue ótimo! E o Lucas... digo, eu estou um pouco nervoso. Tenho uma reunião.How great! And Lucas... I mean, I am a bit nervous. I have a meeting.
- BiaCalma. Você está bem preparado. Vai correr tudo bem.Relax. You are well prepared. It will all go well.
- LucasObrigado. E a Ana? Ela não veio, está doente?Thanks. And Ana? She did not come, is she sick?
- BiaEstá, sim. Está gripada, mas amanhã já estará melhor.Yes, she is. She has a cold, but tomorrow she will already be better.
Vocabulary
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- cansado
adjectivetired; cansada (f.)
- feliz
adjectivehappy (m./f.)
- triste
adjectivesad (m./f.)
- nervoso
adjectivenervous; nervosa (f.)
- ocupado
adjectivebusy; ocupada (f.)
- doente
adjectivesick, ill (m./f.)
- pronto
adjectiveready; pronta (f.)
- preocupado
adjectiveworried; preocupada (f.)
- animado
adjectiveexcited, cheerful; animada (f.)
- chateado
adjectiveupset, annoyed; chateada (f.)
Grammar
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Estar + adjective: how I feel now
Explanation
Portuguese has two verbs for "to be". "Ser" (ch. 3) says what is permanent: who you are, how you always are — "Sou brasileiro", "Ela é alta", "Ele é calmo". "Estar" says a passing state: how you are RIGHT NOW, today, at this moment. With feeling and state adjectives we use "estar": "Estou cansado", "Estou feliz", "Ela está nervosa", "A loja está fechada". The adjective agrees in gender and number, as always: "Estou cansado" / "Estou cansada" / "Estamos cansados". In chapter 29 you learned "estar COM + noun" (estou com fome, estou com sono) — that uses a noun; here we use an ADJECTIVE (estou cansado). Typical mistake: in English there is only "to be", so English speakers say "Sou cansado" ✗ with "ser". But tiredness is passing: "Estou cansado" ✓. Rule of thumb: a feeling or a state of today → "estar".
Examples
- Estou muito cansado hoje.I am very tired today.
- Ela está feliz porque passou na prova.She is happy because she passed the exam.
- Você está pronto? — Ainda não, estou ocupado.Are you ready? — Not yet, I am busy.
- Ele é calmo, mas hoje está nervoso.He is calm (by nature), but today he is nervous.
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