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O gato é gordo.

O gato é gordo.
The cat is fat.
From Lesson 21:Adjective agreement and placement·Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of O gato é gordo.

ser
to be
o gato
the cat
gordo
fat

Questions & Answers about O gato é gordo.

Why does the word for fat end in 'o' here?
In Portuguese, adjectives have to match the gender of the noun they describe. Because gato (cat) is a masculine word, the adjective gordo (fat) also takes its masculine form, which ends in an 'o'. If we were talking about a female cat (a gata), the sentence would change to A gata é gorda.
Why do we use é for 'is' instead of está?
Portuguese has two verbs for 'to be'. We use é (from the verb ser) for defining characteristics or permanent traits. Since being fat is considered a physical trait of this cat rather than a passing feeling (like being hungry or tired), we use é.
If I wanted to just say 'the fat cat' (without 'is'), where would the adjective go?
In Portuguese, descriptive adjectives almost always go after the noun they describe. So, 'the fat cat' translates to o gato gordo. The word order flips compared to English, but the adjective gordo still perfectly matches the masculine singular noun gato.

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