Learn Portuguese (Portugal): A noite está fresca.

A noite está fresca.

The night is cool.

Breakdown of A noite está fresca.

estar

to be (temporary / location)

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Questions & Answers about A noite está fresca.

Why do we use está instead of é in this sentence?

We use está (from the verb estar) because we are talking about a temporary condition. The night is cool right now. If you used é (from the verb ser), it would imply that the night is permanently cool by nature.

Does the word fresca change if I talk about a different noun?

Yes, adjectives in Portuguese must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because a noite (the night) is a feminine noun, we use the feminine form fresca. If you were talking about the wind (o vento), which is masculine, you would say o vento está fresco.

I thought fresca meant "fresh". Can it mean "cool" too?

Yes! The word fresco (or fresca) can mean both "fresh" (like fresh food) and "cool" (a pleasantly low temperature). When talking about the weather or the evening air, it usually translates to "cool".

Since noite ends in "-e", how do I know it is feminine?

Words ending in "-e" in Portuguese do not follow a strict rule for gender, so you have to learn the article along with the word. A helpful tip: the main time-of-day words a noite (the night) and a tarde (the afternoon) are both feminine!