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Os guarda-fatos estão vazios, mas os porta-moedas estão cheios.

Os guarda-fatos estão vazios, mas os porta-moedas estão cheios.
The wardrobes are empty, but the coin purses are full.
From Lesson 187:Plural compound nouns·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Os guarda-fatos estão vazios, mas os porta-moedas estão cheios.

Why didn't the words guarda-fatos and porta-moedas change to become plural?
Both of these are compound nouns made of a verb (guardar, portar) plus a noun that is already plural (fatos, moedas). When the second word is already plural in the singular form, the whole word stays exactly the same in the plural. You just change the article to os to show there is more than one.
What if a compound noun is made of a verb and a singular noun, like guarda-chuva? How would that pluralize?
If the noun part is singular, you usually just make that noun plural. So, o guarda-chuva (the umbrella) becomes os guarda-chuvas (the umbrellas). But as we saw with guarda-fatos, if the noun part is already plural, the word is invariable and does not change.
Why do we use estão instead of são for being empty or full?
We use the verb estar for temporary states or conditions. Even if a wardrobe is empty for a long time, being empty (vazio) or full (cheio) is considered a changeable state, not a permanent, defining characteristic (which would require the verb ser).
Does fatos mean "suits" or "clothes"?
In Portugal, a fato usually means a suit or a specific outfit (like a fato de banho for swimsuit). However, in the compound word guarda-fatos, it historically refers to clothes in general, which is why it translates broadly to "wardrobe".

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