El guardabarros está mojado.

Guardabarros is a compound noun:

• guarda- = from guardar, meaning to protect / to keep off
• barros = mud

So the literal idea is something that protects against mud. In actual use, it means fender or mudguard, depending on the vehicle and the variety of Spanish.

Good question. Even though guardabarros ends in -s, it can be singular. Some Spanish compound nouns have a form that looks plural but functions as a singular noun.

So:

• el guardabarros = the fender / mudguard (singular)
• los guardabarros = the fenders / mudguards (plural)

You have to rely on the article:

• el = singular
• los = plural

Spanish uses estar for conditions or states that are seen as temporary, and ser for more essential characteristics.

Being wet is normally a temporary condition, so Spanish says:

• está mojado = it is wet

Using es mojado would sound unnatural in normal speech.

A useful shortcut:

• ser = what something is
• estar = how something is right now

Because mojado agrees with guardabarros, which is masculine singular.

Agreement in Spanish means adjectives usually change to match the noun in gender and number:

• el guardabarros mojado = masculine singular
• la puerta mojada = feminine singular
• los guardabarros mojados = masculine plural
• las puertas mojadas = feminine plural

So mojado is masculine singular because guardabarros is treated as masculine singular here.

The article tells you:

• el guardabarros = masculine
• un guardabarros = masculine

There is not always a simple ending rule for compound nouns, so it’s best to learn the noun together with its article:

• el guardabarros

That way you automatically remember its gender.

It can refer to both, depending on context. It generally means the part that blocks water, mud, or debris from being thrown upward by the wheel.

In English, the best translation may change depending on context:

• car: often fender
• bicycle / motorcycle: often mudguard or fender

Not always. Spanish varies a lot by region. Guardabarros is widely understood, but some countries use other words for related car parts.

For example, depending on the country, you may also hear words like:

• salpicadera
• fangera or other local terms in some areas

Also, in English, fender can refer to a part that is not always exactly the same as what a speaker means by guardabarros, so context matters.

If your course is focused on general Latin American Spanish, guardabarros is a solid word to learn.

In Spanish, adjectives often come after the noun, especially when they describe a physical condition or quality in a straightforward way.

So:

• el guardabarros mojado = the wet fender

This is the normal order. English usually puts the adjective before the noun, but Spanish often places it after.

Yes, you can, but it changes the emphasis.

• El guardabarros está mojado. = neutral, standard statement
• Está mojado el guardabarros. = puts more focus on the condition or can sound more contrastive, depending on context

The first version is the most neutral and most likely to be taught first.

A simple approximation is:

gwar-dah-BA-rros

A few notes:

• gua sounds roughly like gwa
• the stress is on ba
• rr is a rolled or trilled r
• the final s is pronounced in many regions, though in some dialects it may sound weaker

A more syllable-by-syllable breakdown:

guar-da-ba-rros

It can describe both.

Examples:

• El guardabarros está mojado. = The fender is wet.
• Estoy mojado. = I’m wet.
• La ropa está mojada. = The clothes are wet.

The adjective changes form depending on what it describes:

• mojado = masculine singular
• mojada = feminine singular
• mojados = masculine plural
• mojadas = feminine plural

It would be:

Los guardabarros están mojados.

Changes:

• el → los
• está → están
• mojado → mojados

Everything has to agree with the plural noun.

Usually, in a normal sentence like this, no. Spanish often uses articles where English may or may not use them.

So the natural sentence is:

• El guardabarros está mojado.

Without the article, Guardabarros está mojado, it would generally sound incomplete or unnatural unless it were being used in a special context, like a headline, label, or very unusual style.

Historically, mojado comes from the past participle of mojar (to wet / to get wet), but in this sentence it is functioning as an adjective.

So in:

El guardabarros está mojado.

mojado describes the condition of the fender, just like an adjective.

This is very common in Spanish:

• La puerta está cerrada.
• La ventana está abierta.
• El piso está mojado.

These forms often behave like adjectives when describing a resulting state.