Learn Spanish (Latin America): ¿Él es cuidadoso u ordenado?

In Spanish, the word for "or" is usually o. But when the very next word starts with an "o" sound (like ordenado or words starting with ho-), you must change the o to u. This stops the two "o" sounds from blending together, making it easier to hear both words.

Are cuidadoso and ordenado only used to describe people?

They usually describe people, but not always. Cuidadoso comes from cuidado (care) and means "careful". Ordenado comes from orden (order) and means "tidy" or "organized". You could also talk about an habitación ordenada (tidy room).

Why do we use es instead of está for being careful or tidy?

We use ser (the verb for es) when talking about lasting traits or personality characteristics. Being a careful or tidy person is seen as a part of his personality, not just a temporary state.

Is the word Él required at the beginning?

No, you could just ask ¿Es cuidadoso u ordenado? because the verb es already points to a third person. However, including Él makes it perfectly clear that you are asking about "him" and not "you" (formal) or "her", since they all share the same verb form.