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El agua está fría.

El agua está fría.
The water is cold.
From Lesson 17:Ser vs. estar·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about El agua está fría.

Why is it está and not es?
We use está (from estar) because being cold is a temporary state or condition of this specific water right now. If we used es (from ser), we would be saying that this water is permanently cold by its very nature.
Why does it say el agua if the word for water is feminine?
Agua is a feminine noun, but it starts with a stressed A sound. To avoid saying la agua (which blends together awkwardly), Spanish uses the masculine article el just to make it easier to pronounce.
If we use el, why does the adjective end in A (fría)?
Even though we use the masculine article el for pronunciation, the word agua is still fundamentally feminine. Adjectives always match the true gender of the noun they describe, so we must use the feminine form fría.
Does the accent mark on está change the meaning?
Yes, it is very important! Está with an accent means "is" (from the verb estar). Without the accent, esta is a different word that means "this" (as in esta casa, this house).

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