Este lugar é belo.

Because lugar is a masculine noun in Portuguese, so the demonstrative has to match it:

• este lugar = this place
• esta cidade = this city

A quick pattern:

• este / esse / aquele → masculine singular
• esta / essa / aquela → feminine singular

So lugar takes este.

Yes, este basically means this, but Portuguese has a three-way system that can be more precise than English:

• este = this, near the speaker
• esse = that, near the person being spoken to, or sometimes just that
• aquele = that over there, farther from both

In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, many speakers often use esse where grammar books might expect este. So while Este lugar é belo is correct, in casual speech you may also hear:

• Esse lugar é belo.

The accent marks it as the verb é, meaning is.

It comes from the verb ser:

• eu sou = I am
• você é = you are
• ele/ela é = he/she is

The accent helps distinguish é from e, which means and.

So:

• é = is
• e = and

In Portuguese, just like in English, you often do not need an article in a sentence like this.

• Este lugar é belo. = This place is beautiful.

Here, belo is an adjective describing lugar, so no article is needed before belo.

You could say:

• Este é um lugar belo. = This is a beautiful place.

But that is a slightly different structure.
Este lugar é belo is a very direct subject + verb + adjective sentence.

Both can mean beautiful, but they do not always feel exactly the same.

• bonito is very common in everyday speech
• belo sounds a bit more literary, elevated, or formal

So:

• Este lugar é bonito. = very natural, common
• Este lugar é belo. = correct, but more refined or poetic

A learner should know both, but in casual Brazilian Portuguese, bonito is usually more common.

Yes. In Portuguese, adjectives usually agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.

Since lugar is masculine singular, the adjective is masculine singular too:

• lugar belo / Este lugar é belo

If the noun were feminine singular:

• Esta cidade é bela.

If plural:

• Estes lugares são belos.
• Estas cidades são belas.

So the endings change to match the noun.

The normal word order here is:

• Este lugar é belo.

That is the clearest and most neutral structure.

You can also place the adjective before the noun in some cases:

• Este belo lugar = this beautiful place

But that creates a different sentence fragment or a different structure.
For example:

• Este belo lugar é tranquilo. = This beautiful place is peaceful.

So:

• Este lugar é belo. = This place is beautiful.
• Este belo lugar... = This beautiful place...

They are both correct, but they are not the same structure.

A simple approximate pronunciation is:

• EH-stee loo-GAR eh BEH-loo

A few notes:

• Este: the first syllable is stressed → ES-te
• lugar: stress is on the last syllable → lu-GAR
• é: sounds like eh
• belo: stress is on be → BE-lo

Depending on the region in Brazil, pronunciation may vary slightly.

It can be both, though in this sentence it most naturally means a physical place.

Common uses:

• physical place: Este lugar é belo.
• spot/position: Seu lugar é aqui. = Your place is here.
• role or position in a group or situation: Cada um no seu lugar. = Everyone in their proper place.

So lugar is a flexible word, much like place in English.

Yes. In fact, in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, esse is often very common where a textbook might teach este.

Traditional distinction:

• este = this
• esse = that

But in real Brazilian usage, the difference is often less strict in conversation. So:

• Este lugar é belo. = correct
• Esse lugar é belo. = also very natural in many contexts

If you are learning, it is good to know the formal distinction, but also important to recognize real spoken usage.

It is grammatically correct, but it sounds a bit formal or literary because of belo.

A more everyday Brazilian Portuguese sentence would often be:

• Este lugar é bonito.
• Esse lugar é bonito.
• Esse lugar é lindo.

So Este lugar é belo is fine, but it may sound more elegant than casual speech.