El gato es gordo.

Breakdown of El gato es gordo.

ser
to be
el gato
the cat
gordo
fat

Questions & Answers about El gato es gordo.

Why do we use es instead of está here? Isn't weight something that can change?
In Spanish, physical descriptions and general characteristics use the verb ser (to be), which gives us es here. Even though weight can change, it is treated as a basic description of the cat. You would use estar (like está) for temporary conditions or emotions, like being sick or tired.
Why does gordo end with an 'o'?
Adjectives in Spanish have to match the gender of the noun they describe. Because gato (cat) is a masculine noun, the adjective must also be in its masculine form, gordo. If we were talking about a female cat, it would change to match: la gata es gorda.
Does using el gato mean the cat is definitely male?
Often, yes. El gato specifically means a male cat. However, Spanish defaults to the masculine form if the animal's gender is unknown. If you knew it was a female cat, you would use the feminine words: la gata.
How is the 'g' pronounced in gato and gordo?
In both words, the letter 'g' makes a hard sound, similar to the English word 'go.' In Spanish, 'g' always makes this hard sound when it is followed by the vowels 'a', 'o', or 'u'.

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