O forno elétrico está ligado.

The electric oven is on.

Breakdown of O forno elétrico está ligado.

• estar: to be
• ligado: on
• o forno: the oven
• elétrico: electric

Questions & Answers about O forno elétrico está ligado.

Why is it está and not é?

Portuguese uses two verbs for “to be.”

• estar describes a current, changeable state or location. An oven being on is a temporary condition, so está is right: O forno elétrico está ligado.
• ser describes inherent or defining characteristics: O forno é grande (The oven is big).

What does ligado literally mean? Does it mean “on” or “connected”?

Both, depending on context.

• With appliances, estar ligado = “to be switched on.”
• With a complement, estar ligado a [algo] = “to be connected to [something]”: O forno está ligado à tomada (The oven is connected to the socket).
  So in your sentence, ligado means “on.”

Can I say aceso instead of ligado?

Yes, but there’s a nuance.

• estar ligado stresses that the switch is on (the appliance is powered).
• estar aceso is “lit/ablaze,” and is standard for things that emit light (e.g., A luz está acesa).
  For ovens, both occur in Portugal. O forno está ligado is the default; O forno está aceso suggests the heating element (or a flame/indicator light) is actually on at that moment.

How do I make the negative and how do I ask a question?

• Negative: O forno elétrico não está ligado.
• Yes–no question (speech): keep the word order and raise intonation: O forno elétrico está ligado?
• In writing, you can also front the verb: Está ligado o forno elétrico? (a bit more formal).

How do I say “Turn the (electric) oven on/off” in Portugal?

• Informal (tu): Liga o forno (elétrico). / Desliga o forno.
• Polite/formal (você or to a stranger): Ligue o forno. / Desligue o forno.
  You may also hear Acende o forno / Apaga o forno, especially with gas ovens (flame), but ligar/desligar is the safest for appliances.

Why is it elétrico and not elétrica?

Adjectives agree with the noun’s gender and number. forno is masculine singular, so the adjective is masculine singular: elétrico.

• Feminine example: a placa elétrica (the electric hob).
• Plural example: os fornos elétricos (the electric ovens).

Is there an older spelling I might see in Portugal?

Yes. Before the 2009 spelling reform, European Portuguese used eléctrico. Today the standard in Portugal is elétrico (no c). You’ll still see eléctrico in older texts and signage.

Any pronunciation tips for European Portuguese?

• O (the article) is pronounced like “oo”: [u].
• forno: [ˈfoɾ.nu] — tapped r; final -o sounds like “oo.”
• elétrico: [ɨˈlɛ.tɾi.ku] — the initial e- is a reduced “uh” sound; é is “EH”; final -o is “oo.”
• está: [ʃˈta] — initial es- before a consonant sounds like “sh” in Portugal.
• ligado: [liˈɣa.du] — the g can sound like a soft [ɣ] between vowels in European Portuguese.
  Rough guide: “u FOR-nu uh-LEH-tri-ku sh-TA lee-GAH-du.”

What do the accents in está and elétrico do?

They mark stress and vowel quality.

• está (with á) is stressed on the last syllable and distinct from esta (this, fem.).
• elétrico (with é) has stress on lé and an open “EH” vowel. Accents are mandatory and can change meaning and pronunciation.

Can I put the adjective before the noun, like elétrico forno?

No. The default order is noun + adjective: forno elétrico. Preposing adjectives is possible for style or specific nuance, but elétrico forno is not idiomatic here.

Do I need the definite article o? Could I say just Forno elétrico está ligado?

You generally need the article. Portuguese uses definite articles much more than English.

• Specific known oven: O forno elétrico está ligado.
• If you mean “an electric oven” (not a specific one): Um forno elétrico está ligado.

How do I talk about connection to the outlet or the mains?

Use ligado a with the appropriate contraction:

• ligado à tomada = connected to the socket/outlet.
• ligado à corrente = connected to the (electrical) mains.
  Remember: a + a = à, a + o = ao.

What about a gas oven?

Say forno a gás (most idiomatic) or sometimes forno de gás. Examples:

• O forno a gás está ligado.
• To turn it on/off (flame): Acende/Apaga o forno.

How do I say the plural?

• Plural subject: Os fornos elétricos estão ligados.
• Negative plural: Os fornos elétricos não estão ligados.

Any quick alternatives to express the idea?

• O forno (elétrico) está a funcionar. (It’s functioning/operating.)
• If you mean preheating: O forno está a aquecer. / O forno está a pré-aquecer.
  These don’t replace ligado in all contexts, but they’re common related statements.