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A eletricidade é cara.

A eletricidade é cara.
Electricity is expensive.
From Lesson 54:Equality comparisons (tão... como)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of A eletricidade é cara.

ser
to be
caro
expensive
a eletricidade
the electricity

Questions & Answers about A eletricidade é cara.

Why is the feminine article A used before eletricidade?
In Portuguese, nouns ending in -dade (like eletricidade, verdade, or cidade) are almost always feminine. Because of this, it takes the feminine word for "the", which is a.
Why is the word for expensive spelled cara instead of caro here?
Adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because eletricidade is a feminine noun, the default masculine adjective caro changes its ending to match, becoming cara.
Could I use está instead of é in this sentence?
You could, but it changes the meaning! We use é (from the verb ser) to state general, ongoing facts: "Electricity is generally expensive." If you use está (from estar), it implies a temporary state: "Electricity is expensive right now (perhaps due to a recent price spike)."
How would I use this sentence's vocabulary to say electricity is "as expensive as" gas?
To make an equal comparison, use the pattern tão [adjective] como. You would say A eletricidade é tão cara como o gás.

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