A nota fiscal eletrônica chegou hoje.

A is the feminine singular definite article, equivalent to the.

It is used because nota is a feminine singular noun:

• a nota
• a nota fiscal eletrônica

So the sentence is talking about the specific electronic invoice/tax document, not just any one.

If you said Uma nota fiscal eletrônica chegou hoje, that would mean An electronic invoice arrived today.

In Brazilian Portuguese, nota fiscal is a set expression for an official invoice or tax document issued in a commercial transaction.

• nota = note / slip / invoice-like document
• fiscal = tax-related, fiscal
• eletrônica = electronic

So nota fiscal eletrônica is an electronic invoice / electronic tax invoice. In Brazil, this often refers to a specific legal/business document, not just a casual bill or receipt.

You may also see the abbreviation NF-e.

It is best to learn nota fiscal as a fixed expression.

Even though the words can be analyzed separately, together they form a standard term in Brazilian Portuguese. Native speakers commonly use it as one business/legal concept.

So in this sentence:

• nota fiscal = invoice / tax invoice
• eletrônica modifies that whole expression

In Portuguese, adjectives usually come after the noun.

So:

• nota eletrônica would be electronic note
• nota fiscal eletrônica = electronic tax invoice

This noun-then-adjective order is very normal in Portuguese:

• carro novo = new car
• casa grande = big house
• nota fiscal eletrônica = electronic tax invoice

Sometimes adjectives can come before the noun, but that usually changes style, emphasis, or meaning. Here, the normal order is after the noun.

Because adjectives in Portuguese usually agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.

The main noun here is nota, which is:

• feminine
• singular

So the adjective must also be:

• feminine
• singular

That gives:

• eletrônica

Compare:

• o documento eletrônico = the electronic document
• a nota eletrônica = the electronic note
• as notas eletrônicas = the electronic notes

No. Fiscal does not mean physical.

In Portuguese, fiscal usually relates to:

• taxes
• the treasury
• financial regulation
• official tax documentation

So nota fiscal is a tax/commercial invoice, not a physical note.

This is a useful false-friend warning for English speakers.

Chegou is from the verb chegar, which usually means to arrive or to come.

Here it is in the pretérito perfeito (simple past / preterite), third-person singular:

• eu cheguei = I arrived
• você/ele/ela chegou = you/he/she arrived
• nós chegamos = we arrived

So chegou means arrived or came.

It can suggest several closely related ideas depending on context.

With something like nota fiscal eletrônica, chegou can mean:

• arrived
• came in
• was received
• showed up

In natural English, you might translate it differently depending on the situation:

• The electronic invoice arrived today.
• The electronic invoice came in today.
• We received the electronic invoice today.

Portuguese often uses chegar where English might prefer a slightly different verb.

Yes, hoje can go in different places, but the version in your sentence is very natural.

Common possibilities:

• A nota fiscal eletrônica chegou hoje.
• Hoje a nota fiscal eletrônica chegou.
• A nota fiscal eletrônica hoje chegou. (possible, but less natural in everyday speech)

Putting hoje at the end is a very common neutral word order in Portuguese. It sounds straightforward and natural.

Usually, in a normal full sentence, you would keep the article:

• A nota fiscal eletrônica chegou hoje.

Leaving it out can sound incomplete or headline-like. Omission is more common in:

• titles
• labels
• bullet points
• very telegraphic style

So for standard spoken or written Portuguese, A nota fiscal eletrônica chegou hoje is the safer choice.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

ah NOH-tah fee-SKAW eh-leh-TROH-nee-kah sheh-GOH OH-zhee

A few notes:

• nota: stress on no
• fiscal: stress on the last syllable, roughly fis-CAU
• eletrônica: stress on trô
• chegou: stress on the last syllable
• hoje: the j sounds like the s in measure

A more approximate IPA-style version for Brazilian Portuguese is:

[a ˈnɔtɐ fisˈkaw eleˈtɾõnikɐ ʃeˈgow ˈoʒi]

Not without changing the meaning and structure.

• A nota fiscal eletrônica chegou hoje.
  = The electronic invoice arrived / came in today.

• A empresa recebeu a nota fiscal eletrônica hoje.
  = The company received the electronic invoice today.

Chegar focuses on the document arriving.
Receber focuses on someone receiving it.

So if you use recebeu, you normally need a receiver:

• Eu recebi a nota fiscal eletrônica hoje.
• Nós recebemos a nota fiscal eletrônica hoje.

It is neutral and perfectly normal, especially in business or administrative contexts.

The vocabulary is somewhat formal because nota fiscal eletrônica is a technical/business term, but the grammar itself is simple and everyday:

• article + noun phrase + past verb + time expression

So this sentence would sound natural in:

• emails
• office communication
• accounting contexts
• customer service
• ordinary business conversation