Learn Portuguese (Portugal): O gato é cinzento.

O gato é cinzento.

The cat is grey.

Breakdown of O gato é cinzento.

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Questions & Answers about O gato é cinzento.

Why do we use é here instead of está?

In Portuguese, we use é (from the verb ser) for characteristics that are permanent or define what something is. Since the cat's colour is a permanent physical trait, we use é rather than está (from estar), which is used for temporary states like moods or temporary locations.

Does the word cinzento change if the animal is female?

Yes! Adjectives in Portuguese must match the gender of the noun they describe. If we were talking about a female cat (a gata), the word for grey would change its ending to match: A gata é cinzenta.

Why does the sentence start with O rather than Um?

O is the masculine singular word for 'the', which makes this sentence about a specific cat ('the cat'). If you wanted to say 'a cat is grey', you would use the masculine word for 'a' and say Um gato é cinzento.