Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Mi perro está gordo porque come mucho.

estar is usually for temporary states, conditions, or current situations
ser is usually for permanent characteristics, identity, or inherent traits

Mi perro está gordo suggests:

He is (currently) fat, maybe because he’s been eating a lot lately.
It feels more like a changeable condition.

Mi perro es gordo would sound more like:

He is a fat dog (by nature), as a general, more permanent description.

In everyday speech, people often prefer está gordo when they’re talking about weight gain or a state that can change.

Why does “está” have an accent, but “esta” (this) doesn’t?

está (with accent) is a verb form from estar, meaning “he/she/it is” or “you (formal) are.”
- Example: Mi perro está gordo. – My dog is fat.
esta (no accent) is a demonstrative adjective/pronoun meaning “this” (feminine).
- Example: Esta casa es grande. – This house is big.

In “Mi perro está gordo”, you need the verb, so you must use está with an accent.

Why is there no “he” in Spanish? Why not “Él come mucho”?

Spanish usually drops subject pronouns (yo, tú, él, etc.) when the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

come is the él/ella/usted form of comer (to eat).
In porque come mucho, the subject is understood as “he” (the dog) from context.

You could say:

Mi perro está gordo porque él come mucho.

…but in normal conversation this sounds a bit unnecessary or emphatic. Native speakers just say:

Mi perro está gordo porque come mucho.

Why is it “come” and not “comer” or “comes”?

comer is the infinitive: to eat.
- Example: Me gusta comer. – I like to eat.
come is he/she/it eats (or you – formal – eat).
comes is you (tú) eat.

In “porque come mucho”, we’re talking about “he (the dog) eats”, so we use the él form:

yo como
tú comes
él/ella come
nosotros comemos
ustedes comen
ellos comen

Why is it “mucho” and not “muy” in “come mucho”?

muy = very (modifies adjectives and adverbs)
mucho = a lot / much / many (here, it modifies the verb: how much he eats)

muy
- adjective/adverb:
- está muy gordo – he is very fat
- come muy rápido – he eats very quickly
mucho after a verb:
- come mucho – he eats a lot
- trabaja mucho – she works a lot

So:

Mi perro está muy gordo porque come mucho.
My dog is very fat because he eats a lot.

Here muy goes with gordo, and mucho goes with come.

Why is “gordo” masculine? What if the dog is female?

In Spanish, adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.

perro = male dog → gordo (masculine singular)
perra = female dog → gorda (feminine singular)

Examples:

Mi perro está gordo. – My (male) dog is fat.
Mi perra está gorda. – My (female) dog is fat.
Mis perros están gordos. – My dogs are fat. (mixed or all male)
Mis perras están gordas. – My (female) dogs are fat.

What’s the difference between “mi” and “mío”?

Both relate to “my/mine,” but they’re used differently:

mi = my (goes before a noun)
- Mi perro está gordo. – My dog is fat.
mío/mía/míos/mías = mine (possessive pronoun or emphatic adjective)
- El perro es mío. – The dog is mine.
- Ese perro es mío, no tuyo. – That dog is mine, not yours.

You can’t say “perro mío está gordo” in Spanish as a normal equivalent of “my dog is fat.” You must say:

Mi perro está gordo.

What’s the difference between “porque” and “por qué”?

They look similar but are used differently:

porque (one word, no accent) = because
- Está gordo porque come mucho. – He is fat because he eats a lot.
por qué (two words, with accent) = why (used in questions)
- ¿Por qué está gordo? – Why is he fat?
- ¿Por qué come tanto? – Why does he eat so much?

Other related forms:

el porqué (one word, with article and accent) = the reason
- No entiendo el porqué. – I don’t understand the reason.

In your sentence, you want “because” → porque.

Can I change the word order to “Porque come mucho, mi perro está gordo”?

Yes, that word order is correct and sounds natural:

Mi perro está gordo porque come mucho.
Porque come mucho, mi perro está gordo.

Both mean the same: My dog is fat because he eats a lot.

Putting porque-clause first can sometimes sound more explanatory or emphatic, similar to English:

Because he eats a lot, my dog is fat.

Why is there no article like “el” in “Mi perro”?

When using possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su, nuestro, etc.), Spanish does not use another article:

Mi perro – my dog (not el mi perro)
Tu casa – your house (not la tu casa)

You use an article without a possessive:

El perro está gordo. – The dog is fat.
La casa es grande. – The house is big.

So:

Mi perro está gordo. – correct
El mi perro está gordo. – incorrect

Is calling someone “gordo/gorda” rude in Spanish?

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

Literally, gordo/gorda = fat.
Among close friends or family, in some Latin American countries, it can be used affectionately (like a nickname).
But used with the wrong tone or with someone you don’t know well, it can sound insulting or hurtful, just like calling someone “fat” in English.

In your sentence, you’re talking about your own dog, so it’s neutral and fine:

Mi perro está gordo porque come mucho.

How do you pronounce “perro” versus “pero”?

They differ in the R sound:

pero (but):
- Single r, a softer sound, like a quick tap of the tongue.
- /ˈpe.ro/
perro (dog):
- Double rr, rolled or trilled r.
- /ˈpe.rro/ with a strong, vibrating rr.

Meaning changes:

Mi perro está gordo. – My dog is fat.
Mi pero está gordo. – incorrect / meaningless (you’d just sound like you mispronounced it).

Practicing the rolled rr is important for being understood in words like perro, carro, tierra, etc.