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O nariz do cão é preto.

O nariz do cão é preto.
The dog's nose is black.
From Lesson 110:A cara e o cabelo·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about O nariz do cão é preto.

Why does the sentence say do cão instead of using an apostrophe for possession?
Portuguese doesn't use an apostrophe-s to show ownership. Instead, you build it like 'the nose of the dog'. The word do is a mandatory contraction of de (of) and o (the), which matches the masculine noun cão.
The word nariz doesn't end in -o or -a. How do we know it is masculine?
Nouns ending in -z can be either masculine or feminine in Portuguese, so you just have to memorize the gender when you learn the word. In this sentence, the masculine article O right before it is your clue that nariz is masculine.
Why do we use é here instead of está for the word 'is'?
The word é comes from the verb ser, which is used for permanent characteristics. Because the black color of the dog's nose is a natural, permanent physical trait rather than a temporary state, you must use ser instead of estar.
Does the adjective preto agree with the dog or the nose?
It agrees with O nariz (the nose), which is the main subject of the sentence. Since nariz is a masculine, singular noun, the adjective takes the masculine, singular form preto. If the subject were a feminine word, it would be preta.

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