Learn Portuguese (Portugal): O chocolate? Ele adora-o.

The -o is a direct object pronoun meaning "it". It replaces the masculine noun o chocolate so we don't have to repeat it. In European Portuguese, these pronouns usually attach to the end of the verb with a hyphen in simple affirmative sentences.

Wait, doesn't "o" mean "the"?

Yes, it does double duty! Before a noun (like in o chocolate), o means "the". But when it is attached to a verb as a pronoun (like in adora-o), it means "him" or "it".

How would the sentence change if we were talking about a feminine word, like soup (a sopa)?

Because sopa is a feminine noun, you would need to use the feminine direct object pronoun -a. The sentence would change to: A sopa? Ele adora-a.

Can I just say "Ele adora o chocolate" without the hyphen and pronoun?

Absolutely! Ele adora o chocolate means exactly "He adores the chocolate". Using the pronoun -o just makes you sound more fluent because it avoids repeating the noun, exactly like saying "He adores it" instead of "He adores the chocolate" in English.