Is it correct to indicate marital status with the verb "ser"?

Question

I found online that one of the rules for using SER is that it is used to indicate marital status.

However some translation sites use SER and others ESTAR. For example I found these translations:

They are married. Están casados.
He is single. Él es soltero.
She is divorced. Ella está divorciada.

My thought is that marital status is temporary and that ESTAR would be used. What do you native Spanish speakers think?

Answer 1

"Ser" isn't a verb

Answer 2

Well, Spanish speaker use both. There is a slight difference between both words, it depends on the context:



"Yo soy casado" is an absolute state. When people ask about your marital status, for your ID or other things like that, usually you have to say "Soy casado", "soy soltero".



In other cases, you can say: Estoy casado (if you meet an old friend, and he ask you about that).

Also, you use ESTAR in sentences like this:

Estoy casado con... (i am married to)

Ella está casada con... (she is married to...)



But, use SER in:

Soy UN hombre casado

Eres UNA mujer casada

Answer 3

You're right, times have changfed a lot. Nowadays it's better to use estar but ser isn't uncorrect.

Answer 4

Marial status can last forever the same.

It's a condition (a situation), not necessary a short-lived state.

It's like "I'm pretty" = Soy hermoso, or "I'm pretty now"= Estoy Hermoso.

Different from for example, "I'm sick", what is a short-lived situation valid on for now: "Estoy paciente"