Log inSign up

O carro é vermelho.

O carro é vermelho.
The car is red.
From Lesson 34:Colours (vermelho, amarelo, cor-de-rosa)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of O carro é vermelho.

ser
to be
o carro
the car
vermelho
red

Questions & Answers about O carro é vermelho.

Why do we use é here instead of está?
In Portuguese, there are two verbs for "to be": ser (used for permanent or defining traits) and estar (used for temporary states). A car's color is considered a permanent characteristic, so we use é, which comes from the verb ser.
Would the word for "red" change if we were talking about a feminine object?
Yes. Adjectives (describing words) must match the gender of the noun they describe. Since carro is a masculine noun, we use the masculine form vermelho. If we were talking about a feminine noun, like a bicycle (a bicicleta), the color would change to vermelha.
How is the double "r" in carro pronounced in Portugal?
In European Portuguese, a double "r" is pronounced from the back of the throat, sounding quite similar to a raspy English "h" or a French "r". This is very different from a single "r" in the middle of a word, which is made with a quick tap of the tongue against the roof of the mouth.

Learn O carro é vermelho and more in Portuguese

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Portuguese →