Breakdown of O pai está feliz hoje.
o pai
the father / the parents
estar
to be (temporary / location)
hoje
today
feliz
happy
Questions & Answers about O pai está feliz hoje.
Why do we use está here instead of é?
Does feliz change to a masculine form to match o pai?
No, because feliz belongs to a group of adjectives ending in -z that are exactly the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. Whether it is o pai or a mãe, the word remains feliz. It only changes if it becomes plural (felizes).
Why is there an O before pai?
In Portuguese, you usually need to use the definite article (o or a, meaning 'the') before nouns when talking about specific people, including family members. If you were talking directly to your dad, you could drop the o, but when talking about him in a sentence like this, you must say o pai.
What does the accent mark on está do?