Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Este exercício é chato, mas necessário.

este = this, near the speaker (or something just mentioned and very “present” in the conversation)
esse = that, near the listener, or a bit further from the speaker
aquele = that (over there), far from both speaker and listener

In Este exercício é chato, mas necessário, este usually implies:

the exercise is the one right in front of us now, or
the one we’ve just started talking about in a very “current” way.

You could say Esse exercício é chato… if you’re talking about an exercise the other person has, or that you’re referring to from a slight mental distance, but este is the default when it feels “very here and now” to the speaker.

Why is there no article like o or um before exercício?

In Portuguese, demonstratives like este / esse / aquele usually replace the definite article:

o exercício = the exercise
este exercício = this exercise (you don’t say este o exercício)

So you don’t need (and must not add) another article before the noun.
Correct: Este exercício é chato.
Incorrect: Este o exercício é chato.

What gender and number are exercício, chato, and necessário, and how do they agree?

exercício is masculine singular (you say o exercício)
Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.

So:

chato is masculine singular → matches exercício
necessário is also masculine singular → matches exercício

If the noun changed, the adjectives would change:

a tarefa é chata, mas necessária (feminine singular)
os exercícios são chatos, mas necessários (masculine plural)
as tarefas são chatas, mas necessárias (feminine plural)

Why do the adjectives (chato, necessário) come after the noun?

In Portuguese, the default position for descriptive adjectives is after the noun:

um exercício chato = a boring exercise
um exercício necessário = a necessary exercise

In Este exercício é chato, mas necessário, the structure is:

Este exercício (subject, noun phrase)
é (verb “to be”)
chato, mas necessário (adjectives describing este exercício)

Adjectives can come before the noun, but that often changes the nuance (more subjective, emotional, or stylistic) and is less common in basic, neutral sentences. For beginners, put adjectives after nouns unless you learn a fixed expression (like boa ideia, grande amigo, etc.).

What exactly does chato mean in European Portuguese? Is it only “boring”?

In European Portuguese, chato is very common and has a couple of related meanings:

Boring / tedious
- Este exercício é chato. = This exercise is boring.
Annoying / a pain / a nuisance (often about a person or situation)
- Ele é um bocado chato. = He’s a bit annoying / a pain.

So chato is stronger and more informal than neutral words like aborrecido or entediante.
In this sentence, chato probably means “boring, tedious,” but it often carries a slight “this is annoying” feeling too.

Could we say aborrecido instead of chato? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say:

Este exercício é aborrecido, mas necessário.

aborrecido also means boring, but it tends to sound a bit more formal or neutral than chato. Differences:

chato – Very common in everyday speech, can mean both boring and annoying; slightly more emotional.
aborrecido – More “polite” or neutral “boring,” and also “upset” in some contexts (e.g., Estou aborrecido contigo = I’m annoyed/upset with you).

Both are correct in this sentence; chato feels more colloquial and natural in everyday talk.

Why do we use é and not está here?

Portuguese distinguishes between ser (é) and estar (está), roughly:

ser = essential, permanent, typical characteristics
estar = temporary states or conditions

In Este exercício é chato, mas necessário:

We’re describing what the exercise is like in general (its inherent nature).
Being chato and necessário are seen as permanent/defining characteristics of this exercise.

Compare:

Este exercício é chato. → It’s (generally) a boring exercise.
Este exercício está chato hoje. → Today it’s being boring / seems boring (more temporary or situational).

What’s the difference between mas and mais? They look similar.

They are completely different words:

mas (with s) = but
- É chato, mas necessário. = It’s boring, but necessary.
mais (with is) = more
- mais exercício = more exercise
- mais chato = more boring

Pronunciation in European Portuguese:

mas → roughly like “mush” (the final s often sounds like sh in EP)
mais → roughly “maish”

Spelling is crucial; mixing them up changes the sentence completely.

Why is there a comma before mas?

In Portuguese, mas is a coordinating conjunction meaning “but”, and it usually introduces a contrast. A comma before mas is:

Standard and expected in writing
Similar to English: “…, but …”

So:

Este exercício é chato, mas necessário.
→ Two ideas:
1. It is boring.
2. It is necessary.
  Linked by mas with a contrast, so we put a comma.

In simple sentences with mas, you should keep the comma.

How do you pronounce the whole sentence in European Portuguese?

Approximate breakdown (European Portuguese):

Este → "ESH-tə"
- es → “esh” (the s like English sh)
- final e is a weak, almost neutral vowel ə
exercício → "ee-zair-SEE-see-oo" (more precisely [izɛɾˈsisju])
- exer → “ee-zair”
- cício → stress on cí: “SEE-siu”
é → "eh" (short, open e)
chato → "SHAH-too"
- ch = English sh
- final o like a short oo/u sound
mas → roughly "mush" (final s like sh)
necessário → "nə-sə-SÁ-ryu"
- Stress on sá (the syllable with á)
- final rio often reduced to something like ryu

Full sentence (approximate):
"ESH-tə ee-zair-SEE-see-oo EH SHAH-too, mush nə-sə-SÁ-ryu."

This is only an approximation; native audio is best to copy.

How would I say “These exercises are boring but necessary”?

You need plural forms for the demonstrative, noun, verb, and adjectives:

Estes exercícios são chatos, mas necessários.

Breakdown:

estes = these (masculine plural of este)
exercícios = exercises (plural of exercício)
são = are (3rd person plural of ser)
chatos = boring (masculine plural of chato)
necessários = necessary (masculine plural of necessário)

Why do é, exercício, and necessário have accents? What do they do?

Accents in Portuguese mainly mark stress and sometimes vowel quality.

In this sentence:

é
- Accent: é vs e
- Marks an open, stressed vowel.
- é is the 3rd person singular of ser; without the accent, e is the conjunction “and”.
exercício
- Accent: cí
- Shows that the stress falls on cí: exerCÍcio (exer-CÍ-cio), not on another syllable.
necessário
- Accent: sá
- Stress is on sá: necesSÁrio (ne-ces-SÁ-rio).

So the accents tell you where to put the stress and sometimes prevent confusion with other words.

Is exercício the same as tarefa or atividade, or are there differences?

All three can appear in learning or work contexts, but they’re not identical:

exercício = exercise
- Often a specific question/task in a book, spreadsheet, test, etc.
- Very close to English “exercise” in school or workout contexts.
tarefa = task, assignment, sometimes homework
- More general: something you have to do, not always for learning.
- tarefa de casa can mean homework.
atividade = activity
- Broader: can be an exercise, a game, an action, an event, etc.

In Este exercício é chato, mas necessário, exercício suggests a specific school/work exercise rather than a general task.

Can I drop este and just say O exercício é chato, mas necessário?

Yes, you can, but the meaning/usage changes slightly:

Este exercício é chato, mas necessário.
- Focuses on this specific exercise (the one here/now).
O exercício é chato, mas necessário.
- More general: the exercise (either known from context, or speaking about it in a more generic way).

Both are grammatically correct. Este is more precise and deictic (“this one here”), while o is just “the”.