How do I use ser and estar?

SER is used to describe identifying features, describing someone or something by who or what they are, their profession or religion, or physical characteristics (e.g. Anna es alta, Juán es musulmán, estos son los zapatos que me gustan). SER is also used with time, ownership, material and nationality. On the other hand, ESTAR is used to express a physical or emotional (estoy cansadastate), give an opinion (¿estás de acuerdo con él?) or describe location (Valencia está en el sur de España). Using SER and ESTAR with adjectives: ser + adjective describes a characteristic of someone or something (e.g. Andrea es muy nerviosa = Andrea is a very nervous person). Estar + adjective once again describes a state (e.g. Andrea está muy nerviosa por el examen = Andrea is very nervous about the exam). With some adjectives, using either ser or estar changes the meaning - e.g. 1. Juán es aburrido = Juán is boring. 2. Juán está aburrido = Juán is bored.If you are unsure of which verb to use, consider whether what you are saying describing is a permanent or identifying quality (use ser) or a temporary state (use estar). Here's an example: 1. La mesa es de cristal. 2 La mesa está sucia.