A lata é de metal.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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