Learn Portuguese (Portugal): A médica está doente hoje?

In Portuguese, we use the verb estar (which gives us está) for temporary states or conditions. Being sick is a temporary condition, especially since we know it is just happening hoje (today). If you used é from the verb ser, it would sound like being sick is her permanent, lifelong trait!

The English translation says "the doctor (f)". How do we know the doctor is a woman?

Many professions in Portuguese change their endings based on gender. Because the sentence uses the feminine word a médica, we know she is female. If the doctor were a man, the sentence would start with o médico.

Since the doctor is female (a médica), why doesn't the adjective doente end in an "a"?

Most adjectives that end in -e in Portuguese, like doente (sick), are gender-neutral. They stay exactly the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. So, you will see both o médico doente and a médica doente.

The English translation starts with "Is", but the Portuguese sentence starts with "The doctor". Why is the word order different?