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O que é aquilo? É o gato.

O que é aquilo? É o gato.
What is that? It is the cat.
From Lesson 3:Yes/no questions and question words (quem, o que)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of O que é aquilo? É o gato.

ser
to be
aquilo
that over there
o que
what
o gato
the cat

Questions & Answers about O que é aquilo? É o gato.

Why is "what" translated as O que and not just Que?
When "what" stands alone in a question (like "What is that?"), we usually use O que. You generally use just Que when it is followed immediately by a noun, like Que gato? (What cat?).
What is the difference between aquilo and other words for "that" like isso?
In Portuguese, distance matters! Use isso for something close to the person you are talking to. Use aquilo for something that is far away from both of you. Also, aquilo is invariable, meaning it doesn't change forms to match masculine or feminine words.
Where is the word for "It" in É o gato?
Portuguese often drops subject pronouns (like I, you, he, she, or it) because the situation and the verb make it clear what we are talking about. Here, É literally means "Is", but it translates perfectly to "It is".
Why does the verb é have an accent mark?
The accent mark gives the letter a strong, open sound (similar to the "e" in the English word "pet"). It also helps you tell it apart in writing from e without an accent, which means "and" and sounds totally different.

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