El pasaje es breve.

Because pasaje is a masculine singular noun in Spanish, so it takes the masculine singular definite article el.

• el pasaje = the passage
• un pasaje = a passage

This is something you usually just have to learn with the noun.

Es is the third-person singular form of the verb ser.

So:

• ser = to be
• es = is

In El pasaje es breve, es means is.

Spanish has two main verbs for to be: ser and estar.

Here, ser is used because breve describes a quality or characteristic of the passage, not a temporary state or location.

• es breve = it is brief / short
• está breve would sound wrong in normal Spanish

So this is a classic ser use: describing what something is like.

Breve is an adjective. It describes the noun pasaje.

Here it means brief or short.

So the structure is:

• El pasaje = the passage
• es breve = is brief

Not all Spanish adjectives change for gender.

Breve is an adjective with the same form for masculine and feminine singular:

• el pasaje breve
• la explicación breve

It only changes in the plural:

• el pasaje es breve
• los pasajes son breves

So breve stays breve in the singular, regardless of gender.

If the adjective is used directly with the noun, it often comes after the noun:

• un pasaje breve = a brief passage

But in your sentence, the adjective comes after the verb because this is a predicate adjective structure:

• El pasaje es breve = The passage is brief

So this is not unusual word order. It is exactly what you would expect with ser + adjective.

Yes. Pasaje can have several meanings depending on context, such as:

• a passage in a text
• a corridor / passageway
• in some contexts, a ticket or fare

In this sentence, since the meaning has already been given, it is being used as passage.

You could, but it may sound less natural depending on context.

• breve often fits well for something like a text, speech, summary, or time span
• corto often emphasizes physical length or simple shortness

For a written excerpt or section of text, breve is often the better choice.

So:

• El pasaje es breve = very natural for The passage is brief
• El pasaje es corto = possible, but the nuance is a bit different

A simple pronunciation guide is:

el pa-SA-he es BRE-ve

A bit more precisely in Spain:

• j in pasaje is pronounced like a strong h sound: pa-SA-he
• v in breve is pronounced much like b in Spanish
• r in breve is a light tap, not a strong English r

Approximate IPA: [el paˈsa.xe es ˈbɾe.βe]

Normally, you should keep el here.

• El pasaje es breve = correct
• Pasaje es breve = not natural in standard Spanish

Spanish often uses articles where English might also use the, and in this sentence the definite article is part of the normal structure.

The plural would be:

Los pasajes son breves.

Changes:

• el → los
• pasaje → pasajes
• es → son
• breve → breves

So:

• El pasaje es breve. = The passage is brief.
• Los pasajes son breves. = The passages are brief.