Questions & Answers about O homem americano é casado.
Why do we use é (from the verb ser) instead of está (from estar) for being married? Doesn't marital status change?
This is a classic surprise for English speakers! In Portuguese, being married (casado) is treated as a permanent characteristic or a fundamental part of your identity, rather than a temporary state. That is why we use é (from ser) instead of está.
Why does americano come after homem instead of before it?
In Portuguese, descriptive adjectives, especially those for nationality or origin, usually come after the noun they describe. So, 'the American man' becomes o homem americano.
Are nationalities like americano always written in lowercase?
Yes, unlike in English, words for nationalities and languages are not capitalized in Portuguese unless they appear at the very beginning of a sentence.
If we were talking about an American woman, how would this sentence change?
Everything would change to match the feminine noun! It would become: A mulher americana é casada. Adjectives like americano and casado must agree with the gender of the person.