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O coelho branco é da menina.

O coelho branco é da menina.
The white rabbit is the girl's.
From Lesson 137:Os animais da quinta (a vaca, o coelho)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about O coelho branco é da menina.

Why is it coelho branco and not branco coelho?
In Portuguese, descriptive adjectives usually come immediately after the noun they describe. So instead of "white rabbit" like in English, we say "rabbit white" (coelho branco).
Where is the word for "the girl's" in this sentence?
Portuguese doesn't use an apostrophe "s" to show possession. Instead, you say that the rabbit is "of the" girl. The word da is a contraction of the preposition de (of) and the feminine article a (the).
Why do we use é (from the verb ser) here instead of está?
We use é because ownership is treated as a permanent characteristic or defining fact. The other "to be" verb, estar, is generally used for temporary states or physical locations.
Could I just say "de menina" instead of "da menina"?
If you say de menina, it usually describes something as being meant for a girl in general, like a type of toy or clothing. Because we are talking about a specific girl who owns this specific rabbit, we need the word for "the" (a), which combines with de to make da.

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