A unidade está fechada.

A is the feminine singular definite article, meaning the.

So:

• a = the
• unidade = a feminine singular noun

In normal Portuguese, you usually keep the article here: A unidade está fechada.

Leaving it out can sound unnatural in an ordinary full sentence, though you might see article omission in:

• headings
• labels
• very short notices
• certain bureaucratic styles

Portuguese often distinguishes between:

• ser for identity, definition, or more permanent characteristics
• estar for states, conditions, or situations

Here, closed is a current state, so Portuguese uses estar:

• A unidade está fechada. = The unit is closed.

If you used é fechada, it would usually suggest something more like:

• it is a closed-off type of unit
• it is secretive / not open in nature
• it is inherently closed

So for a place or service that is not open right now, está fechada is the natural choice.

Está is the 3rd person singular present tense of estar.

Full present tense of estar:

• eu estou
• tu estás
• ele/ela/você está
• nós estamos
• vós estais
• eles/elas/vocês estão

In A unidade está fechada, the subject is a unidade, which is grammatically 3rd person singular, so está is the correct form.

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

Unidade is:

• feminine
• singular

So the adjective must also be:

• feminine
• singular

That gives:

• masculine singular: fechado
• feminine singular: fechada
• masculine plural: fechados
• feminine plural: fechadas

Examples:

• O centro está fechado.
• A unidade está fechada.
• Os centros estão fechados.
• As unidades estão fechadas.

Not always. Unidade is a broad word, and the best translation depends on context.

It can mean things like:

• unit
• branch
• department
• ward
• facility
• site

For example:

• in a hospital: ward or unit
• in a company or service network: branch
• in administration: unit or department

So although unit is the direct translation, in real usage the exact English word may change.

A rough European Portuguese pronunciation is:

uh oo-nee-DAH-duh shtah fuh-SHAH-duh

A more IPA-style version is approximately:

[ɐ uniˈðaðɨ ʃˈta fɨˈʃaðɐ]

A few useful notes for European Portuguese:

• unstressed a often sounds like a very reduced uh
• final -e is often reduced, not clearly pronounced like English ay
• está often sounds closer to shtá in connected speech
• ch in fechada sounds like sh

So fechada sounds roughly like fuh-SHAH-duh, not like Spanish-style ch.

The accent in está shows the stressed syllable and is part of the correct spelling.

So:

• está = is
• stress falls on the last syllable: es-TÁ

This accent is important in writing and helps distinguish the word’s correct form and pronunciation.

Yes, often you can.

Both can mean the unit is closed, but there can be a slight difference in tone:

• fechada = closed
• encerrada = closed / shut down / not in operation, often a bit more formal or institutional

Depending on context, encerrada may sound:

• more official
• more formal
• more final

For a simple everyday statement, está fechada is very natural.

You add não before the verb:

• A unidade não está fechada.

That means:

• The unit is not closed.

The basic pattern is:

subject + não + verb + adjective

So:

• A unidade está fechada.
• A unidade não está fechada.

In Portuguese, you can often keep the same word order and just use intonation or a question mark in writing:

• A unidade está fechada?

That means:

• Is the unit closed?

Portuguese does not usually need a special word order change like English does.

Compare:

• statement: A unidade está fechada.
• question: A unidade está fechada?

Not naturally in this sentence, unless the subject is already very clear from context.

Portuguese often allows omitted subjects with verbs, but here the verb está only tells you he/she/it/you is closed, not specifically the unit.

So:

• Está fechada. can work if everyone already knows what it is.
• A unidade está fechada. is the full, clear version.

Because fechada is feminine singular, listeners may infer that the omitted noun is feminine singular, but the noun itself is still not explicit.

You make both the noun phrase and the adjective plural, and the verb changes too:

• singular: A unidade está fechada.
• plural: As unidades estão fechadas.

Changes:

• a → as
• unidade → unidades
• está → estão
• fechada → fechadas

This is a good example of agreement across the sentence.

It is neutral and works well in both everyday and formal contexts.

A unidade está fechada. could appear in:

• speech
• customer service
• signs
• emails
• official notices

If you want something more formal or institutional, you might also see:

• A unidade encontra-se fechada.
• Informamos que a unidade se encontra fechada.

But the original sentence is completely normal and correct.