Questions & Answers about O semáforo está vermelho.
Why do we use está instead of é for a color here?
We use está (from estar) because the traffic light being red is a temporary state that will change soon. If you used é (from ser, which is used for permanent characteristics), it would imply that the physical box of the traffic light itself is permanently painted red.
The English translation just says "light". Why don't we use the Portuguese word luz?
In English, we often shorten "traffic light" to just "light". In Portuguese, luz refers to a generic light source, like a lamp or the sun. To talk about a traffic light on the road, you need to use the specific word semáforo.
If I want to say "the light turned red", do I still use a form of estar?
Is semáforo the only way to say traffic light in Portugal?
While semáforo is the precise term, in everyday spoken Portuguese it is very common to hear o sinal (the signal) used instead. For example, the phrase for "to run a red light" is usually passar o sinal vermelho.
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