Breakdown of Há um macho no abrigo.
um
a / an / some (all forms)
haver
to be (there is / there are)
em
in / on / at
o abrigo
the shelter
Questions & Answers about Há um macho no abrigo.
Why use macho here instead of homem or masculino?
In Portuguese, macho refers to the biological sex of an animal (a male). If you were talking about a human, you would use homem (man). For the adjective masculine or male (like a male voice or male clothing), you use masculino. Since this sentence is about an animal shelter (abrigo), macho is the correct noun.
How would I apply this lesson's grammar to say 'Both males are in the shelter'?
You would say Ambos os machos estão no abrigo. Remember that when using ambos (both) directly before a noun, Portuguese requires the definite article. You must say ambos os or ambas as, never just ambos machos. Notice we also switched the verb from há to estão because we are pointing out the location of specific subjects rather than stating their general existence.
Can I use the verb ter and say Tem um macho no abrigo?
You will occasionally hear this in informal speech, and it is the standard in Brazilian Portuguese. However, in proper European Portuguese, using ter (to have) to mean 'there is' or 'there are' is considered incorrect. You should stick to há (from the verb haver).
If there were multiple males, would the verb há become plural?