Isto é ótimo.

A natural Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation is roughly:

EES-too eh AW-chee-moo

A bit more precisely:

• isto → EES-too
• é → eh (like e in bet, but clearer)
• ótimo → AW-chee-moo in many Brazilian accents, because ti before a vowel often sounds like chi

A more IPA-like version is: /ˈis.tu ɛ ˈɔ.tʃi.mu/

Two important notes:

• The é is a separate word and gets its own vowel sound.
• In Brazil, t before i often becomes a ch-like sound, so ótimo often sounds like ótchimo.

Isto is a demonstrative pronoun. It means this in a neutral sense, usually referring to this thing, this matter, or this idea rather than naming a specific noun.

For example:

• Isto é importante. = This is important.
• O que é isto? = What is this?

In Isto é ótimo, isto stands alone, so it works like this or this thing in English.

This is one of the most common learner questions.

In traditional grammar:

• isto = this near the speaker
• isso = that near the listener, or something just mentioned

But in real Brazilian Portuguese, isso is much more common in everyday speech, and isto can sound a bit more formal, careful, or written.

So:

• Isto é ótimo. is correct.
• Isso é ótimo. is also correct and often more common in conversation.

A practical tip:

• If you are speaking casually in Brazil, isso will often sound more natural.
• If you see isto in writing, do not be surprised; it is still fully correct.

The accent in é is required because é is the verb ser in the he/she/it is form.

So:

• é = is

The accent matters because without it, e means and.

Compare:

• Isto é ótimo. = This is great.
• isto e ótimo would be incorrect in this sentence, because e is not the verb.

So the accent is not optional here.

The accent in ótimo shows where the stress goes:

• Ó-ti-mo → stress on the first syllable

Without the accent, the pronunciation rules would suggest a different stress pattern, so the accent is important.

Ótimo is a very common word meaning great, excellent, or very good.

Examples:

• Que ótimo! = That’s great!
• Está ótimo. = It’s great / It’s fine

Because isto is grammatically neutral, Portuguese normally uses the masculine singular form of the adjective with it.

So:

• isto é ótimo
• isso é bom
• aquilo é estranho

Even though English does not think of this as masculine, Portuguese often uses the masculine singular adjective after neutral demonstratives like:

• isto
• isso
• aquilo

You would use ótima if you were describing a specifically feminine noun:

• A ideia é ótima. = The idea is great.
• A comida está ótima. = The food is great.

Yes, absolutely.

In fact, Isso é ótimo is often more natural in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, depending on the situation.

Very roughly:

• isto can feel more formal, written, or precise
• isso is very common in speech

So both are correct, but the choice depends on context and style.

Yes, but it may sound a little more formal or written than some other options.

In real spoken Brazilian Portuguese, you may hear:

• Isso é ótimo.
• Tá ótimo.
• Que ótimo!
• Isso é muito bom.

So Isto é ótimo is definitely correct and natural enough, but in casual speech, many speakers would prefer isso over isto.

Yes, sometimes.

Portuguese often allows the subject to be omitted when it is understood from context. So:

• É ótimo. = It’s great. / That’s great.

This works well when everyone already knows what you are referring to.

Compare:

• Isto é ótimo. = more explicit
• É ótimo. = more context-dependent

In conversation, É ótimo is very common.

This is the normal and most natural word order:

• subject + verb + adjective

So:

• Isto é ótimo.

Portuguese usually keeps this order in simple statements.

You might see other structures for emphasis in special contexts, but for a learner, Isto é ótimo is the standard pattern to use.

É is the 3rd person singular of the verb ser.

The infinitive is:

• ser = to be

Present tense:

• eu sou
• você/ele/ela é
• nós somos
• vocês/eles/elas são

In Isto é ótimo, isto takes the same verb form as it in English, so you use é.

In this sentence, ser is being used to identify or characterize something:

• Isto é ótimo. = This is great.

That is why ser works well.

In many real-life situations, though, Brazilians also say:

• Está ótimo.

The difference is often:

• ser: describing something more generally or essentially
• estar: describing a current state or condition

But in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, expressions with ótimo can appear with both, depending on context.

Examples:

• Isto é ótimo. = This is great.
• O jantar está ótimo. = The dinner is great.

Yes, very common.

Ótimo is a high-frequency word meaning:

• great
• excellent
• very good

You will often hear:

• Ótimo! = Great!
• Que ótimo! = How great! / That’s great!
• Tudo ótimo. = Everything is great.
• Uma ótima ideia. = A great idea.

It is a very useful everyday word to learn early.