Learn Spanish (Latin America): La fresa es roja y pequeña.

In Spanish, adjectives (words that describe things) must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because la fresa (the strawberry) is a feminine word, the adjectives must also be feminine, ending in -a: roja and pequeña.

Why do we use es here instead of está for the word "is"?

We use es (from the verb ser) because we are describing fundamental characteristics of the strawberry, like its color and its size. You would use está (from the verb estar) if you were talking about a temporary state or condition, like if the strawberry were rotten or chopped up.

How would I use the words in this sentence to practice the new lesson and say "I like small strawberries"?

You would say Me gustan las fresas pequeñas. Because you are talking about multiple strawberries, you must use gustan instead of gusta. You also have to add an -s to make both the noun (fresas) and the adjective (pequeñas) plural to match!

I have heard the word frutilla used for strawberry before. Is fresa the exact same thing?