A chuva encheu o buraco.

Because chuva is a feminine noun, and Portuguese often uses the definite article with nouns where English might not.

So:

• a chuva = the rain
• chuva by itself can also appear, but in a full sentence Portuguese often sounds more natural with the article.

This is one of the big differences from English: Portuguese uses articles more frequently.

You learn the noun together with its article:

• a chuva = feminine
• o buraco = masculine

There is no simple rule that works all the time, so it is best to memorize nouns with a or o from the start.

Encheu is the pretérito perfeito of the verb encher.

That tense is commonly used for a completed action in the past.

So:

• encher = to fill
• encheu = filled

In this sentence, it means the action happened and is complete: the rain filled the hole.

Because the subject is a chuva, which is third person singular.

So the verb must also be third person singular:

• a chuva encheu = the rain filled

If the subject were plural, the verb would change:

• as chuvas encheram o buraco = the rains filled the hole

And enchia would mean something more like was filling / used to fill, which gives a different sense from the simple completed action in encheu.

Again, Portuguese often uses the definite article where English may or may not.

• o buraco = the hole

It usually suggests a specific hole, or one already understood from the context.

Without the article, buraco is possible in some situations, but o buraco is the most natural form here.

Because encher is usually a direct transitive verb in this meaning. It takes a direct object without a preposition.

So:

• encher alguma coisa = to fill something

That is why we say:

• A chuva encheu o buraco.

Not:

• A chuva encheu no buraco.

The hole is the thing being filled, so it is the direct object.

No. This is the normal Portuguese word order:

• Subject + Verb + Object
• A chuva
  • encheu
    • o buraco

That is the same basic order as English:

• The rain
  • filled
    • the hole

Portuguese can sometimes change word order for style or emphasis, but this sentence is straightforward and neutral.

Buraco usually means hole, but depending on context it can also mean things like:

• a hole in the ground
• a gap
• a pit
• a pothole

So in a real-life situation, o buraco could be a literal hole in the ground, a ditch-like opening, or even a pothole filled by rainwater.

Yes, but it changes the structure and adds emphasis to what filled it.

• A chuva encheu o buraco. = The rain filled the hole.
• A chuva encheu o buraco de água. = The rain filled the hole with water.

The second version makes the result more explicit: the hole became full of water.

In Brazilian Portuguese, encheu is roughly pronounced like en-SHEW, but with a nasal sound at the beginning that English does not really have.

A rough pronunciation guide for the whole sentence is:

• A chuva ≈ ah SHOO-vuh
• encheu ≈ en-SHEW
• o buraco ≈ oo boo-RAH-koo

A few helpful notes:

• ch in Portuguese sounds like sh
• final unstressed o often sounds like oo in Brazilian Portuguese
• the r in buraco is usually a light tapped sound

It can in some contexts, but the normal, neutral order in Portuguese is still subject before verb.

So:

• A chuva encheu o buraco. is the standard way.

If you changed the order, it would usually sound more marked, poetic, or context-driven. A beginner should treat this sentence as the basic pattern.

Not exactly.

• encher = to fill
• preencher = to fill in / fill out / complete

Examples:

• A chuva encheu o buraco. = The rain filled the hole.
• Preenchi o formulário. = I filled out the form.

So for a physical space becoming full, encher is the natural verb here.

Yes. In Portuguese, just as in English, natural forces can be the subject of a verb.

So a chuva can do things like:

• A chuva alagou a rua. = The rain flooded the street.
• A chuva encheu o buraco. = The rain filled the hole.

This is completely normal grammar.