Questions & Answers about O cabo está solto.
Why is it está and not é?
Because estar describes a temporary or resulting state (how something is right now), whereas ser describes inherent or defining characteristics. A cable being loose is expected to change, so O cabo está solto is natural. O cabo é solto would sound odd, as if “being loose” were a permanent property.
What exactly does solto mean here, and how is it different from frouxo?
Here solto means not attached/secured, free, not fastened. Frouxo means slack/loose in the sense of “not tight.” Both can overlap, but:
- O cabo está solto = the cable isn’t secured/has come free.
- O cabo está frouxo = the cable is loose/slack (not tightened). For screws, both parafuso solto and parafuso frouxo are heard; frouxo often emphasizes lack of tightness.
Does solto agree with cabo in gender and number?
Yes. Adjectives agree with the noun they modify:
- Masculine singular: solto (as in O cabo está solto)
- Feminine singular: solta
- Masculine plural: soltos
- Feminine plural: soltas
How would I say it in the plural?
Os cabos estão soltos.
How do I negate it?
Put não before the verb: O cabo não está solto.
Can I drop the article O?
Normally no. Portuguese uses definite articles more than English when the noun is specific. You might see article-drop in headlines, lists, or labels (e.g., Cabo solto on a checklist), but in normal speech/write-ups use O.
Can I change the word order?
Yes, for emphasis or certain contexts you can say Está solto o cabo, putting the focus on the state. The neutral, most common order is O cabo está solto.
What can cabo mean in Portugal?
- A cable/cord (electrical, network, etc.): cabo HDMI, cabo elétrico.
- A handle/grip: cabo da vassoura (broom handle).
- A military rank: cabo = corporal.
- A geographical cape (with capital letter in names): Cabo da Roca. Context clarifies which meaning is intended.
How can I make it unambiguous?
Add a clarifier:
- O cabo elétrico está solto.
- O cabo da vassoura está solto.
- O cabo USB está solto. If you mean the military rank: O cabo (militar) está… plus a clearer adjective (e.g., de serviço, de folga). Using solto about a person would mean “at large/free,” which is unusual here.
Is cabo the same as fio?
Not exactly. Fio is usually a thin wire or strand; cabo is a thicker cable or a cord that may contain multiple wires. For power/network leads in everyday PT-PT, cabo is the default: cabo de alimentação, cabo de rede. Fio elétrico is the conductor (often inside a cabo).
How do I pronounce it in European Portuguese?
Approximately: [u ˈka.bu ʃˈta ˈsoɫ.tu]
- O (article) sounds like [u].
- está starts with a “sh” sound [ʃ] and is stressed on -tá.
- l in solto is a dark L [ɫ].
- Final o sounds like u.
Do I need the accent in está?
Yes. está (with accent) is the verb form “is.” esta (no accent) means “this” (feminine). Compare: Esta ficha está solta.
How do I ask “Is the cable loose?” in Portuguese?
Use rising intonation: O cabo está solto? You can also invert for emphasis: Está solto o cabo? The first is the most common in speech.
How do I say “The cable came loose / got loose”?
- Result state: O cabo ficou solto.
- Inchoative (it loosened itself/came free): O cabo soltou-se.
Any useful set phrase with solto?
Yes, à solta means “on the loose”: Há um cão à solta. With people: O suspeito está à solta.
If cabo is the military rank and the person is female, what changes?
The noun form usually stays cabo, but the article becomes feminine: A cabo. Adjectives and past participles agree with the person’s gender: A cabo está cansada. Using solta for a person would mean “free/at large,” which is a very specific context.
Any Brazil vs. Portugal differences here?
Meaning and grammar are the same. Pronunciation differs: in Brazil está is typically [isˈta] (no initial “sh”), and final o is more like [o]. Informal tá for está is common in both, but even more so in Brazil.
How do I say what it’s loose from?
Use de + the thing: O cabo está solto da ficha/do terminal/da tomada.
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