A tampa desta panela está na pia.

The lid of this pot is in the sink.

Breakdown of A tampa desta panela está na pia.

• estar: to be
• na: in the
• a panela: the pot
• a pia: the sink

Questions & Answers about A tampa desta panela está na pia.

Why does the sentence begin with A?

A is the feminine singular definite article, so it means the.

• A tampa = the lid
• Uma tampa = a lid

Here the speaker is talking about one specific lid, not just any lid.

Why is it desta panela?

Desta is a contraction of de + esta.

• esta panela = this pot
• de esta panela → desta panela = of this pot

So a tampa desta panela literally means the lid of this pot.

Also, desta agrees with panela, which is feminine singular. If the noun were masculine, you would use deste instead.

What is the difference between desta and dessa?

Traditionally:

• desta = of this
• dessa = of that / of the one you mentioned

In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, though, essa/dessa are often used where a textbook might teach esta/desta. So in natural speech, many Brazilians would also say A tampa dessa panela está na pia.

Using desta is correct and clear; it just sounds a bit more precise or slightly more formal in many contexts.

Why is está used instead of ?