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Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): A mesa é baixa. - The table is low.

Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil)
/Caring for a dog and cat
/A mesa é baixa.

A mesa é baixa.

Word

A mesa é baixa.

Meaning

The table is low.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil)

Lesson

Caring for a dog and cat

Breakdown of A mesa é baixa.

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Questions & Answers about A mesa é baixa.

Why is it a mesa and not just mesa?

In Portuguese, it is very common to use the definite article a / o / as / os where English might or might not use the.

a mesa = the table
mesa by itself can sound more general, dictionary-like, or incomplete in many normal contexts.

So A mesa é baixa is the most natural full sentence for The table is low/short.

Why is it a before mesa?

Because mesa is a feminine singular noun in Portuguese.

Portuguese nouns have grammatical gender, so the article must match:

a mesa = the table
o livro = the book

Here:

a = feminine singular definite article
mesa = feminine singular noun

How do I know that mesa is feminine?

Usually, you learn the noun together with its article:

a mesa
not just mesa

Many nouns ending in -a are feminine, and mesa is one of them. But this is not a perfect rule, so it is best to memorize nouns with their article.

Why is it é?

É is the he/she/it form of the verb ser, which means to be.

The verb ser is used here because the sentence is describing a characteristic of the table.

eu sou = I am
você é = you are
a mesa é = the table is

So é means is here.

Why is é written with an accent?

The accent in é is important because it shows both spelling and pronunciation.

é = is
e = and

So the accent helps distinguish two very common words.

Why is it baixa and not baixo?

Because adjectives usually agree with the noun they describe in gender and number.

Since mesa is feminine singular, the adjective must also be feminine singular:

mesa baixa = low table
livro baixo would be masculine singular

Agreement pattern:

baixo = masculine singular
baixa = feminine singular
baixos = masculine plural
baixas = feminine plural

Does baixa come after the noun because that is normal in Portuguese?

Yes. In Portuguese, adjectives often come after the noun.

So:

mesa baixa = low table

That is the most normal order in this kind of sentence.

Portuguese can sometimes put adjectives before the noun, but that often changes the tone, style, or emphasis. For a basic descriptive sentence, noun + adjective is the standard pattern.

Is baixa always translated as low?

Not always. Its exact meaning depends on context.

For example, baixo / baixa can mean:

low in height
short for physical height in some contexts
sometimes quiet/low with things like sound, depending on the expression

In A mesa é baixa, it most naturally describes the table’s height: The table is low.

How do I pronounce baixa in Brazilian Portuguese?

In standard Brazilian Portuguese, baixa is pronounced approximately like BAI-sha.

A rough guide:

bai sounds like buy
x here sounds like sh
final a is an open a sound

So: BAI-sha

How do I pronounce the whole sentence?

A natural Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation is roughly:

a ME-zah EH BAI-sha

A few notes:

mesa sounds like ME-zah
é sounds like eh
baixa sounds like BAI-sha

The stress is:

MEsa
É
BAIxa

Can I say Mesa é baixa without a?

In most normal situations, that sounds unnatural in Portuguese.

Portuguese usually wants the article here:

A mesa é baixa.

Leaving out the article is only possible in special contexts, headings, labels, very telegraphic style, or certain generalizations. For a normal full sentence, keep a.

What would the plural be?

The plural is:

As mesas são baixas.

Changes:

a → as
mesa → mesas
é → são
baixa → baixas

Everything agrees in number.

Could I use estar instead of ser here?

Normally, ser is the best choice here because the sentence describes a general characteristic of the table.

A mesa é baixa. = The table is low.
This sounds like a description of what the table is like.

Using estar would usually suggest a temporary state, which does not fit naturally with physical height:

A mesa está baixa.

That would only make sense in a special context, for example if the table’s height can be adjusted and it is currently in a low position.

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