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O preço está baixo.

O preço está baixo.
The price is low.
From Lesson 49:Caring for a dog and cat·Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil)

Breakdown of O preço está baixo.

estar
to be
o preço
the price
baixo
low

Questions & Answers about O preço está baixo.

Why is there o before preço?
O is the masculine singular definite article, meaning the. In normal Portuguese, a noun like preço usually takes an article when it is the subject of a sentence, so O preço está baixo sounds natural. Without the article, it would usually sound incomplete unless it were a headline, label, or some very clipped style.
What form is está?
Está is the third-person singular present form of estar. With o preço, it means is. So grammatically, the structure is subject + verb + adjective: O preço + está + baixo.
Why does Portuguese use estar here instead of ser?
Portuguese often uses estar for a condition or state, especially one that can change. A price can go up or down, so está baixo suggests the price is low in the current situation. That is why estar is very natural here.
Can I also say O preço é baixo?
Yes, you can, but the nuance is a little different. É baixo sounds more like a general characteristic or something you see as inherently low. Está baixo sounds more like the price is low now, under current conditions. When talking about prices that fluctuate, está is often the more natural choice.
Why is it baixo and not baixa?

Because preço is a masculine singular noun, the adjective has to match it: baixo. In Portuguese, adjectives usually agree with the noun in gender and number.

Examples:

  • o preço baixo
  • a tarifa baixa
  • os preços baixos
  • as tarifas baixas
Does baixo only mean low?

No. Baixo can mean different things depending on the context. With preço, it means low. But in other sentences it can mean things like short, low, quiet, or deep/low-pitched.

For example:

  • um homem baixo = a short man
  • voz baixa = a low or quiet voice
Could I use barato instead of baixo?

Usually, with preço, baixo is the most natural choice. Barato is more commonly used for the product or service itself, not for the price as a number.

More natural:

  • O preço está baixo.
  • O produto está barato.
  • A passagem está barata.

So if you are specifically talking about the price, baixo is the usual adjective.

How do I pronounce preço, and what does ç do?
The ç is called cedilha, and it makes an s sound. So preço is pronounced roughly like PREH-soo in many Brazilian accents, with the stress on the first syllable. Also, the final o in Brazilian Portuguese often sounds like u or oo.
Why does está have an accent mark?
The accent mark shows that the stress falls on the last syllable: es-TA. It also helps distinguish está from esta, which usually means this in the feminine singular form.
How would I say this in the plural?

You would say Os preços estão baixos.

Everything changes to match the plural:

  • o → os
  • está → estão
  • baixo → baixos
Can the word order change?
The normal, neutral order is O preço está baixo. Portuguese can sometimes change word order for emphasis, but for learners the safest pattern is subject + verb + adjective. So this sentence is already in the most standard order.
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