O inimigo está perto.

O is the masculine singular definite article, meaning the.

So o inimigo = the enemy.

Portuguese uses definite articles very often, sometimes more often than English does. In this sentence, o shows that we are talking about a specific enemy, or an enemy already understood from the context.

Portuguese has two main verbs for to be: ser and estar.

Here, está is used because perto describes a temporary condition or location-like state: the enemy is near.

• estar = used for states, conditions, positions, locations
• ser = used for identity, essential characteristics, permanent descriptions

So:

• O inimigo está perto. = The enemy is near.
• O inimigo é perigoso. = The enemy is dangerous.

Using é perto here would sound wrong.

Perto means near or close.

In this sentence, está perto means is near or is close by.

It can also appear with de when you say what something is near:

• O inimigo está perto de nós. = The enemy is near us.
• A escola fica perto de casa. = The school is near home.

In O inimigo está perto, the sentence simply leaves that second part unstated.

This is the normal Portuguese word order:

subject + verb + complement

• O inimigo = subject
• está = verb
• perto = complement

So it follows the same basic pattern as English:

The enemy is near.

Other word orders are sometimes possible in Portuguese for emphasis or style, but this is the most neutral and natural one.

A simple Brazilian Portuguese approximation is:

oo ee-nee-MEE-go es-TAH PEHR-too

A few notes:

• inimigo stress is on mi: i-ni-MI-go
• está stress is on the last syllable: es-TÁ
• perto stress is on per: PER-to

Also, Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation varies by region, so small differences are normal.

The accent in está shows where the stress goes: es-TÁ.

It also helps distinguish the form clearly in writing. In Portuguese, accent marks are an important part of spelling, not optional decoration.

So you should write:

• está ✅
• esta ❌ if you mean the verb here

Note that esta without the accent is a different word, meaning this in the feminine form.

Inimigo is the masculine singular form.

The forms are:

• o inimigo = the male enemy / the enemy (masculine)
• a inimiga = the female enemy
• os inimigos = the enemies (masculine or mixed group)
• as inimigas = the female enemies

So the article and any related words must match the gender and number of the noun.

You would change both the noun and the verb:

• O inimigo está perto. = The enemy is near.
• Os inimigos estão perto. = The enemies are near.

Changes:

• o → os
• inimigo → inimigos
• está → estão

Perto does not change here.

Yes, often you can.

• O inimigo está perto.
• O inimigo está próximo.

Both can mean The enemy is near.

However, perto is very common and natural in everyday speech. Próximo can sound a little more formal or literary depending on the context.

Also, both can be used with de:

• perto de nós
• próximo de nós

Not always, but very often.

In Portuguese, articles are more common than in English. Saying o inimigo is very natural when referring to a specific or contextually known enemy.

Without the article, inimigo usually sounds less complete in a sentence like this. Inimigo está perto would generally not be the normal neutral phrasing.

So for learners, o inimigo está perto is the safe and natural version.

It is often treated as an adverbial expression or location-related complement in sentences like this.

For a learner, the most useful thing is this:

• after estar, perto works like near
• it describes the subject’s position or closeness

So even if grammar books may classify it in different ways depending on the structure, the practical pattern to learn is:

• estar perto = to be near
• estar perto de... = to be near...

Yes, it can.

Depending on context, O inimigo está perto can mean:

• physically near
• close in time or danger
• metaphorically close, like an approaching threat

For example, in a movie, a game, or a dramatic speech, it could mean that danger is approaching, not just that someone is literally nearby.

So the exact meaning depends on the situation, even though the basic grammar stays the same.