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Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): A lata é de metal. - The can is made of metal.

Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil)
/Sorting household recycling
/A lata é de metal.

A lata é de metal.

Word

A lata é de metal.

Meaning

The can is made of metal.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil)

Lesson

Sorting household recycling

Breakdown of A lata é de metal.

Questions & Answers about A lata é de metal.

Why does a mean the here and not a/an?

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

a lata = the can
uma lata = a can

This is a very common point of confusion for English speakers, because Portuguese a can look like English a, but here it does not mean a/an.

Why is lata feminine?

Because lata is a feminine noun in Portuguese. Nouns have grammatical gender, and the article has to match:

a lata = feminine
o livro = masculine

The gender of a noun does not necessarily have anything to do with biological sex. A can is not female in any real-world sense; it is just grammatically feminine in Portuguese.

What exactly does lata mean in Brazilian Portuguese?

Lata usually means can or tin/can container, like a soda can or a food can.

Depending on context, it can also have other meanings, but in a basic sentence like A lata é de metal, the most natural meaning is can.

Why is the verb é used here?

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É is the third-person singular form of ser, which means to be.

It is used because the subject is singular:

A lata é... = The can is...
As latas são... = The cans are...

So é matches a lata, which is singular.

Why do we use ser here and not estar?

Portuguese usually uses ser for identity, classification, origin, material, and essential characteristics.

Here, the sentence is talking about what the can is made of, so ser is the natural choice:

A lata é de metal. = The can is made of metal.

Using estar here would sound wrong in normal Portuguese, because the material is not seen as a temporary state.

What does de mean here?

Here, de means of or made of.

In Portuguese, it is very common to express material with ser + de:

é de metal = is made of metal
é de madeira = is made of wood
é de plástico = is made of plastic

Portuguese often says this more directly than English. English usually prefers made of, while Portuguese can simply use de.

Why is there no article before metal?

Because Portuguese often does not use an article before a material noun when speaking in a general way.

So:

de metal = of metal
de madeira = of wood
de vidro = of glass

You would not normally say de o metal here. That would sound unnatural in this sentence.

Could I also say A lata é metálica?

Yes. A lata é metálica is also correct.

There is a slight difference in style:

A lata é de metal = The can is made of metal.
A lata é metálica = The can is metallic / made of metal.

The version with de metal is very straightforward and common when talking about material. Metálica uses an adjective and can sound a bit more descriptive.

Could I say A lata é feita de metal?

Yes, absolutely.

A lata é de metal = The can is of metal / made of metal
A lata é feita de metal = The can is made of metal

Feita de is a little more explicit, because it literally says made of. But é de metal is completely natural and often simpler.

How do you pronounce A lata é de metal in Brazilian Portuguese?

A helpful approximate pronunciation is:

ah LAH-tah eh djee meh-TAU

A few notes:

lata: the first syllable is stressed → LA
é sounds like eh
de in Brazilian Portuguese often sounds like djee
metal usually sounds roughly like meh-TAU in Brazil

The final l in Brazilian Portuguese often sounds like a w/u sound, which is why metal does not sound like English metal.

How would I make this sentence plural?

You would say:

As latas são de metal.

Changes:

A → As
lata → latas
é → são

So:

A lata é de metal. = The can is made of metal.
As latas são de metal. = The cans are made of metal.

Is the word order special here?

No. This is a very normal Portuguese sentence pattern:

article + noun + verb + complement

So:

A lata = subject
é = verb
de metal = complement describing material

It is a basic and natural word order in both Portuguese and English.

Does lata always mean can, or can it mean tin too?

In many English translations, lata may be given as can or sometimes tin, depending on the variety of English.

For a learner of Brazilian Portuguese, the safest everyday equivalent is usually can.

So in this sentence, think of lata as:

a can
especially a metal container like a soda can or food can

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