Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Mi hermano está un poco gordo porque come mucha comida frita. - My brother is a bit fat because he eats a lot of fried food.

ser gordo: describes what you see as a more permanent or defining trait – “He is fat (that’s how he is / his build).”
estar gordo: describes a state or condition, often seen as changeable or the result of something – “He is (has gotten) fat” / “He’s a bit on the heavy side right now.”

In this sentence, the reason is explicitly given: porque come mucha comida frita (because he eats a lot of fried food). That suggests a condition caused by habits, so estar fits very well.

You can say Mi hermano es gordo, but it sounds more like “My brother is fat (that’s just how he is),” not necessarily linked to recent behavior or change.

Why is there an accent on está?

The accent on está serves two purposes:

Pronunciation / stress:
The stress is on the last syllable: es‑TÁ. Without an accent, words ending in a vowel are normally stressed on the second-to-last syllable, so the accent mark shows the exception.
Distinguishing it from other words:
- está = “is” (3rd person singular of estar)
- esta (no accent) = “this” (feminine) as in esta casa = “this house”

So Mi hermano está un poco gordo clearly means “My brother is a bit fat,” not “My brother this a bit fat.”

Why is it un poco gordo and not just gordo or muy gordo?

un poco literally means “a little / a bit”, and it softens the adjective:

Mi hermano está gordo.
“My brother is fat.” (direct, can sound blunt)
Mi hermano está muy gordo.
“My brother is very fat.” (strong, more negative)
Mi hermano está un poco gordo.
“My brother is a bit fat / kind of chubby.” (softer, less harsh)

So un poco is used here to attenuate the adjective and sound less offensive.

Is there a difference between un poco gordo and poco gordo?

Yes:

un poco gordo = “a bit fat / kind of chubby”
This is the usual, natural way to say it. It emphasizes a small amount of the quality, but in practice it just softens the description.
poco gordo = “not very fat / only a little fat”
This is less common and sounds a bit odd with gordo, but grammatically it means he isn’t very fat, he’s just slightly so.

In everyday speech, to sound natural and soft, you almost always want un poco gordo, not poco gordo.

Why is it gordo and not gorda?

Adjectives in Spanish must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.

hermano is masculine singular → gordo (masculine singular)
If it were your sister (hermana), you’d say:
Mi hermana está un poco gorda.
If it were multiple brothers:
Mis hermanos están un poco gordos.
Multiple sisters:
Mis hermanas están un poco gordas.
Mixed group (brothers and sisters):
Mis hermanos están un poco gordos.
(masculine plural is the default for mixed groups)

So gordo matches hermano in gender and number.

Is gordo rude in Latin America?

It can be, depending on context, tone, and relationship:

In many parts of Latin America, Gordo / Gorda can be a nickname or term of endearment among family, friends, or couples:
- Oye, Gordo, ven acá. = “Hey, babe / honey, come here.”
  In that context, it’s often not offensive.
But if you say Está gordo about someone, especially a stranger or someone sensitive about weight, it can sound rude or hurtful, similar to calling someone “fat” in English.

If you want to be more polite or neutral, you might hear:

Está llenito / llenita. (chubby, softer)
Está con sobrepeso. (overweight, more clinical)
Ha subido de peso. (has gained weight)

In the sentence given, it’s a family member (Mi hermano), so it can be neutral or teasing, depending on tone.

Why is it come and not está comiendo?

Spanish uses the simple present a lot more than English does for habits:

Él come mucha comida frita.
= “He eats a lot of fried food.” (habit / regular behavior)
Él está comiendo comida frita.
= “He is eating fried food (right now).”

In the sentence, we’re explaining a habitual cause (he regularly eats a lot of fried food), not what he is doing right at this moment. So come is the correct and natural choice.

Why is it mucha comida frita and not mucho comida frita?

Because mucha is agreeing with comida:

comida is feminine singular → the matching form of mucho is mucha.
If it were a masculine noun, it would be mucho:
- mucho pan (a lot of bread)
- mucho arroz (a lot of rice)
Feminine singular nouns use mucha:
- mucha agua (a lot of water – agua is feminine even though it uses el in singular)
- mucha fruta (a lot of fruit)

So you must say mucha comida frita, not mucho comida frita.

Why is comida frita singular and not comidas fritas?

Here, comida is being used as a mass noun, like “food” in English, not as individual “meals”:

mucha comida frita ≈ “a lot of fried food” (general type of food)
muchas comidas fritas would sound more like “many fried meals/dishes,” emphasizing separate items or occasions.

In everyday speech, when talking about someone’s diet, people usually use the mass-noun idea:

come mucha comida frita = he eats a lot of fried food (in general).

So singular here is the natural, generic form.

Why is there no article: mucha comida frita instead of mucha la comida frita?

In Spanish, when you talk about an unspecified quantity of a mass noun or an abstract noun with words like mucha/mucho, poca/poco, bastante, you normally omit the article:

bebe mucha agua = he drinks a lot of water
tengo poco dinero = I have little money
comen mucha carne = they eat a lot of meat

If you add an article, you’re usually specifying a particular group:

mucha de la comida frita (rare in this short form, but possible in longer contexts)
would mean “a lot of the fried food (that we’re talking about)”, referring to a specific batch or set.

In your sentence, we are talking in general about his diet, so no article: mucha comida frita.

Why is it porque (one word) and not por qué (two words)?

porque and por qué mean different things:

porque (one word) = “because”
Used to introduce a reason or cause.
→ Está un poco gordo porque come mucha comida frita.
“He’s a bit fat because he eats a lot of fried food.”
por qué (two words, with an accent) = “why”
Used in questions:
→ ¿Por qué está un poco gordo?
“Why is he a bit fat?”

So in your sentence, we need “because”, so we use porque.

Why is it mi hermano and not el hermano? And what’s the difference between mi and me?

mi hermano vs el hermano:
- mi hermano = “my brother” (possessive)
  We almost always use a possessive adjective to show whose family member it is:
  mi hermano, mi mamá, mi papá etc.
- el hermano just means “the brother” in general, not clearly yours.
  You could say El hermano está un poco gordo only if context already makes it clear whose brother you’re talking about, but even then, using mi hermano is more natural when it’s your own.
mi vs me:
- mi (no accent) = possessive adjective = “my”
  → mi hermano, mi casa, mi libro
- me = object pronoun = “me”
  → Él me mira. = “He looks at me.”
  → Me llamó. = “He called me.”

So here we need mi (“my”), not me.

Why is there no él before come? Could we say porque él come mucha comida frita?

Spanish often omits subject pronouns (yo, tú, él, etc.) because the verb ending usually shows who the subject is:

come can only be he / she / it / usted in this context, so you don’t need él.

Both are grammatically correct:

porque come mucha comida frita – very natural, default style.
porque él come mucha comida frita – also correct, but:
- It can add emphasis on “he”:
  “because he (in particular) eats a lot of fried food.”
- Or can contrast with someone else:
  Él está gordo porque él come mucha comida frita y yo no.
  “He is fat because he eats a lot of fried food and I don’t.”

In your neutral sentence, Spanish prefers porque come mucha comida frita without él.