Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): A minha rotina matinal é simples.

You can drop the article in some contexts (especially in very informal speech or for stylistic reasons), but as a learner, using the article with possessives is a safe default in European Portuguese.

In Brazilian Portuguese, you’ll much more often see Minha rotina… without the article, but in Portugal that usually sounds “foreign” or Brazilian.

Why is it minha and not meu?

Portuguese possessive adjectives agree in gender and number with the thing owned, not with the owner.

rotina is a feminine noun (singular): a rotina
So you must use the feminine singular possessive: minha

Examples:

o carro (masc. sing.) → o meu carro
a casa (fem. sing.) → a minha casa
os livros (masc. pl.) → os meus livros
as rotinas (fem. pl.) → as minhas rotinas

So:

A minha rotina matinal… is correct.
O meu rotina matinal… would be wrong, because rotina is feminine.

Why is it é and not está? What’s the difference here?

Portuguese uses ser and estar differently:

ser (é) = essential, permanent, or characteristic qualities
estar (está) = temporary states, locations, or conditions

A routine is, by nature, a stable pattern of behavior. Saying:

A minha rotina matinal é simples.
= My morning routine is simple (as a general characteristic).

If you said:

A minha rotina matinal está simples.

it would sound like “right now, at the moment, my routine happens to be simple”, implying it might normally be more complicated. That’s less common and would need a specific context.

Why is simples the same for masculine and feminine? Shouldn’t it change?

The adjective simples is invariable in gender:

masculine singular: um dia simples
feminine singular: uma rotina simples
masculine plural: dias simples
feminine plural: rotinas simples

So you do not say “simpla” or “simplices”.
Spelling and form stay simples for both gender and number.

Why is it rotina matinal and not matinal rotina? How does adjective order work here?

In Portuguese, most adjectives (especially descriptive ones) usually come after the noun:

rotina matinal = morning routine
carro novo = new car
café quente = hot coffee

So rotina matinal is the normal, neutral order.

Some adjectives can go before or after the noun with a change of emphasis or meaning (e.g. grande amigo vs amigo grande), but matinal is almost always placed after the noun in modern usage.

Matinal rotina would sound wrong or, at best, poetically odd.

Can I say A minha rotina da manhã é simples instead of rotina matinal?

You can, and it’s understandable, but there’s a nuance:

rotina matinal
– More concise, slightly more formal or “written”/standard.
– Sounds like fixed vocabulary: “morning routine”.
rotina da manhã
– Literally “routine of the morning”.
– Feels a bit heavier and less idiomatic than rotina matinal, though it’s not incorrect.

So:

A minha rotina matinal é simples. → most natural, especially in writing or careful speech.
A minha rotina da manhã é simples. → possible, clear, but less elegant.

Can I omit A and just say Minha rotina matinal é simples in European Portuguese?

You can say:

Minha rotina matinal é simples.

and you will be understood, but in European Portuguese it usually sounds:

more informal, or
a bit Brazilian-influenced in style.

In Portugal, the more typical version is:

A minha rotina matinal é simples.

As a learner focusing on Portuguese from Portugal, it’s better to keep the article with possessives most of the time.

Could I drop minha and say A rotina matinal é simples? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, and it does change the meaning slightly.

A minha rotina matinal é simples.
= My morning routine is simple. (specifically yours)
A rotina matinal é simples.
= The morning routine is simple. (sounds more general or impersonal; could be talking about a typical morning routine, or the routine in a particular place everyone knows).

So:

If you want to emphasize that it’s your personal routine, keep minha.
Without minha, it becomes more general or context-dependent.

Is matinal common, or is there a more everyday way to say “morning routine”?

Matinal is common and perfectly natural, but it feels slightly:

more formal, or
more “standard vocabulary” than everyday colloquial speech.

In casual conversation, people might also say:

A minha rotina de manhã é simples.
(My routine in the morning is simple.)

But as a compact phrase, rotina matinal is very standard and widely used, especially in writing, articles, self-help content, etc. It’s a good expression to learn and use.

How do you pronounce rotina matinal and where is the stress?

Approximate pronunciation in European Portuguese:

a – [ɐ] (like a very short “uh”)
minha – MI-nha → [ˈmi.ɲɐ]
rotina – ro-TI-na → [ʁuˈti.nɐ] (stress on ti)
matinal – ma-ti-NAL → [mɐ.tiˈnaɫ] (stress on nal)
é – [ɛ] (open “eh”)
simples – SIM-ples → [ˈsĩ.plɨʃ] in Portugal (nasal sim)

So, with stress marked:

A MInha roTIna matiNAL é SIMples.

Key points:

Stress on MI, TI, NAL, SIM.
The m in simples nasalizes the vowel: sĩ.
Final -es in simples is usually [ɨʃ] in European Portuguese.