Le colis est endommagé.

French usually needs an article before a singular countable noun. Le colis means the package/parc​el.

Unlike English, where you can sometimes talk more generally without an article, French normally says le, la, un, une, etc. So colis by itself would usually sound incomplete in a normal sentence.

Colis means package, parcel, or shipment, depending on context.

It is a masculine noun, which is why it uses le:

• le colis = the package
• un colis = a package

A useful detail: colis is spelled the same in the singular and plural.

• le colis = the package
• les colis = the packages

Est is the third-person singular form of the verb être (to be).

So:

• le colis = the package
• est = is
• endommagé = damaged

Together: The package is damaged.

It matches le colis because that is singular.

It can be understood as a past participle used like an adjective, and it is also very close in meaning to an English passive.

So Le colis est endommagé can be thought of as:

• The package is damaged (state/adjective)
• or The package has been damaged (passive idea, depending on context)

In everyday French, learners will often first understand it simply as is damaged.

Because it agrees with colis, which is masculine singular.

Here are the agreement forms:

• masculine singular: endommagé
• feminine singular: endommagée
• masculine plural: endommagés
• feminine plural: endommagées

Since colis is masculine singular, the correct form is endommagé.

Yes. The past participle/adjective would change to match the noun.

For example:

• La boîte est endommagée. = The box is damaged.

Here boîte is feminine, so endommagé becomes endommagée.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

luh ko-LEE ehz ahn-do-ma-ZHAY

A few helpful notes:

• le sounds like luh
• colis is pronounced roughly ko-LEE
• est here sounds like eh
• endommagé ends with -gé, pronounced like zhay

Also, there is a liaison between est and endommagé, so it often sounds like eh-tahn... rather than a fully separate break.

Because dommage and endommagé do not mean the same thing.

• dommage usually means a pity or damage as a noun
• endommagé means damaged

So:

• C’est dommage. = That’s a pity.
• Le colis est endommagé. = The package is damaged.

French often uses endommagé where English uses damaged.

Yes. That means The package was damaged or has been damaged, depending on context.

Compare:

• Le colis est endommagé. = The package is damaged.
  Focus on its current condition.
• Le colis a été endommagé. = The package was/has been damaged.
  Focus on the event of damage happening.

Both are correct, but they are not exactly the same.

You can say C’est endommagé, but it means It’s damaged and is less specific.

Compare:

• Le colis est endommagé. = The package is damaged.
• C’est endommagé. = It’s damaged.

If you are clearly talking about a specific package, Le colis est endommagé is more precise.

Endommagé is very natural and common for something that has been physically damaged.

Depending on context, French might also use:

• abîmé = damaged, worn, spoiled, scuffed
• cassé = broken
• détérioré = deteriorated, damaged

Examples:

• Le colis est abîmé. = The package is damaged / in ცუდ shape.
• Le colis est cassé. = The package is broken.
  (Less likely unless the package itself is rigid or something on/in it is broken.)

So endommagé is a good neutral choice for shipping or delivery contexts.

It usually refers to a parcel/package shipment, not just any piece of mail.

So colis is more like something shipped or delivered as a package, rather than a simple letter. It does not have to be a literal cardboard box, but it usually refers to that type of delivered item.

You would change the article, the verb, and the agreement on endommagé:

• Les colis sont endommagés. = The packages are damaged.

Changes:

• le → les
• est → sont
• endommagé → endommagés

That final -s shows masculine plural agreement.