Breakdown of A camisa é de algodão.
ser
to be
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
a camisa
the shirt
o algodão
the cotton
Questions & Answers about A camisa é de algodão.
Why do we use é here instead of está?
Why does the Portuguese sentence say de algodão instead of just algodão?
In English, we can use a material like 'cotton' directly as an adjective (The shirt is cotton). In Portuguese, nouns do not act as adjectives this way. Instead, you always say the object is 'of' the material using de. This applies to all materials, such as de madeira (wooden) or de plástico (plastic).
Does camisa refer to any type of shirt?
In Portugal, camisa usually refers specifically to a button-up shirt or dress shirt. If you are talking about a casual t-shirt, you would just use the English loanword t-shirt, and a sweater or warm top is called a camisola.
How do I pronounce the -ão ending in algodão?
The -ão ending has a distinct nasal sound. To pronounce it, try saying 'ow' like in 'cow', but push the air out through your nose instead of just your mouth. It helps to think of the nasal sound in the middle of the English word 'pound'.