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O cão está fora de casa.

O cão está fora de casa.
The dog is outside the house.
FromLesson 33inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of O cão está fora de casa.

a casa
the house
estar
to be
o cão
the dog
fora de
outside

Questions & Answers about O cão está fora de casa.

Why is it está and not é?
Portuguese uses estar for locations and temporary states. Since we’re talking about where the dog is, está is correct. Use ser for inherent characteristics and for the location of events. For example, an event can be placed with ser: O concerto é no parque. But a person/thing’s location uses estar: O cão está fora de casa.
Why fora de casa instead of fora da casa?
  • fora de casa is the usual expression meaning “not at home” or “outside (one’s) home,” with casa used generically as “home” and no article.
  • fora da casa (de + a = da) refers to being outside a specific, identifiable house/building. Examples:
  • Generic/idiomatic: Vou estar fora de casa este fim de semana.
  • Specific building: O cão está fora da casa azul.
Shouldn’t de contract to da here?

Only if there is a definite article. Contractions:

  • de + o = do
  • de + a = da
  • de + os = dos
  • de + as = das Here there’s no article before casa (it’s the idiomatic “home” use), so we keep de casa.
Can I just say O cão está fora or O cão está lá fora?

Yes:

  • O cão está fora = The dog is outside/out.
  • O cão está lá fora = The dog is out there/outside (slight emphasis on “out there”). Adding de casa makes it clear you mean “not at home/outside the house.”
How is the whole sentence pronounced in European Portuguese?

Approximate IPA: [u ˈkɐ̃w̃ ʃˈta ˈfɔɾɐ dɨ ˈkazɐ]

  • o (article) = [u] (like the “oo” in “food” but short)
  • cão = [ˈkɐ̃w̃] (nasalized vowel with a w‑glide)
  • está = [ʃˈta] (the initial s sounds like English “sh”; many speakers drop a very light initial [ɨ])
  • fora = [ˈfɔɾɐ] (tapped r)
  • de = [dɨ] (reduced vowel, like a very short “duh”)
  • casa = [ˈkazɐ]
How do I pronounce the ão in cão?
It’s a nasal diphthong. Start with a short, central “uh” sound, let air resonate through your nose, and glide off with a brief w‑like ending: [ɐ̃w̃]. Common words with the same ending: pão, mão, não. Avoid saying a full “cow-n”; it’s shorter and nasalized.
Why is there an article o before cão? Could I omit it?
Portuguese normally uses articles with singular countable nouns. O cão means a specific “the dog.” You can’t say Cão está… in standard Portuguese. If you mean an unspecified dog, use um cão.
What’s the difference between cão and cachorro?
  • In Portugal: cão = dog (general); cachorro = puppy.
  • In Brazil: cachorro commonly means dog (general), and cão can sound formal/literary. Female dog in Portugal is cadela (neutral in PT; can be offensive in Brazil in some contexts).
What does the accent in está do?

It marks the stressed syllable and distinguishes it from esta (this, feminine). Compare:

  • está = 3rd person singular of estar (he/she/it is).
  • esta = “this” (feminine). Also note: estás (you are, singular informal) has a stressed ás.
How would I say it in the plural: “The dogs are …”?
  • Os cães estão fora de casa. (generic “not at home”)
  • Os cães estão fora da casa. (outside a specific house) Notes:
  • cão → cães (irregular plural)
  • está → estão (3rd person plural)
Is there a feminine form for cão?
Yes: cadela. Example: A cadela está fora de casa. Plurals: cadelas; or for puppies: cachorrinho/cachorrinha in Portugal (puppy), with regional variation.
Could I invert the order to emphasize the location, like Fora de casa está o cão?
Yes, but it sounds marked/poetic. The neutral word order is O cão está fora de casa. Inversion is used for emphasis or stylistic effect.
How do I make a yes–no question or a negative with this sentence?
  • Question (no auxiliary needed): O cão está fora de casa?
  • Negative: O cão não está fora de casa. Note that não uses the nasal ão sound.
What’s the difference between fora de casa, em casa, and dentro de casa?
  • em casa = at home (neutral location): O cão está em casa.
  • dentro de casa = inside the house (physically indoors): O cão está dentro de casa.
  • fora de casa = not at home/outside the house: O cão está fora de casa. For a specific house, use the article: na casa (= em + a casa), da casa (= de + a casa), etc.
Is there a more explicit way to say “on the outside of the house” (the exterior side)?
Yes: do lado de fora da casa. This emphasizes the exterior side of a specific house: O cão está do lado de fora da casa.
How can I type á and ã?
  • Phones/tablets (iOS/Android): press and hold the letter, then choose á or ã.
  • Windows (US‑International layout): apostrophe (') then a → á; tilde (~) then a → ã.
  • macOS: Option+E, then a → á; Option+N, then a → ã.
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