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A caixa é mais leve do que a mala.

A caixa é mais leve do que a mala.
The box is lighter than the suitcase.
From Lesson 53:Comparatives (mais... do que, menos... do que)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of A caixa é mais leve do que a mala.

ser
to be
a mala
the suitcase
a caixa
the box
mais
more
do que
than
leve
light

Questions & Answers about A caixa é mais leve do que a mala.

English uses "lighter" with an "-er" ending. How does Portuguese build this comparison?
Portuguese doesn't use word endings like "-er" to compare things. Instead, you put mais (more) before the adjective and do que (than) after it. So, "lighter than" literally translates to "more light than" (mais leve do que).
Is the do in do que required, or can I just say mais leve que a mala?
You can use either! Both mais leve do que and mais leve que are perfectly correct and mean exactly the same thing. Adding the do is just very common in everyday spoken Portuguese.
A caixa (the box) is a feminine word. Why doesn't the adjective leve end in "a"?
Adjectives that end in -e in their dictionary form are usually gender-neutral in Portuguese. They don't change to match masculine or feminine nouns. Whether you are talking about a masculine word or a feminine word like a caixa, the adjective stays leve.
Why does this sentence use é instead of está for "is"?
We use é (from the verb ser) because being lightweight is treated as an inherent, physical characteristic of this specific box. You use ser for permanent or defining traits, whereas está (from estar) is for temporary states.

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