Weather with ESTAR + Adjective

In English, we usually say "It is sunny." In Portuguese, we drop the "It" entirely. There is no equivalent to that dummy subject. You just start your sentence with the verb. The verb is always está. This is the third-person singular form of estar. Think of it as the "is" without the "it." You just say está and then add a descriptive word. This word is an adjective. It describes the current condition of the day. It is like saying "Is cold" or "Is hot." It might feel a bit naked at first. But you will get used to it quickly. It is efficient and punchy. No wasted breath here. Yes, even native speakers forget to check the forecast, but they never forget this rule.

1. 1Creating these sentences is as easy as making toast. Just follow these two steps:
2. 2Start with the verb está.
3. 3Add your weather adjective.
4. 4For example: Está (Verb) + nublado (Adjective) = Está nublado. It means "It is cloudy." You can also add time markers to the end. Está calor hoje. This means "It is hot today." Or you can say Está frio agora. This means "It is cold now." You do not need to conjugate the verb for different weather types. It stays as está every single time. It is a one-size-fits-all solution for your daily small talk.

Use this pattern whenever you are describing the immediate atmosphere. Use it when you look out the window in the morning. Use it when you step out of the airport. Imagine you are at a job interview and want to fill an awkward silence. You could say, Está um dia bonito, não está? (It is a beautiful day, isn't it?). It is perfect for real-world scenarios. Use it while ordering food at an outdoor terrace. If the sun is beating down, tell the waiter, Está muito calor aqui. It is great for hiking, traveling, or just chatting with your neighbor in the elevator. It is your go-to phrase for any atmospheric update.

Do not use the verb ser. This is a classic beginner trap. Ser is for permanent things, like your nationality. The weather changes every hour. It is moody. It is temporary. So, saying É frio sounds like you are describing the abstract concept of cold. It does not describe the weather outside. Also, avoid using estar directly with nouns like "wind" or "sun." Usually, we use the verb fazer for nouns. You say Faz sol (It makes sun) but Está ensolarado (It is sunny). Notice the difference? Adjectives like ensolarado describe the state. Nouns like sol are the objects themselves. Think of it like a grammar traffic light: adjectives get the green light with estar.

The biggest mistake is trying to use ter (to have). In some languages, you "have" heat. In Portuguese, the day "is" in a state of heat. Do not say Tem calor. Native speakers will understand you, but it sounds a bit clunky. Another common slip is adding o tempo (the weather) to every sentence. You can say O tempo está bom. But it is much more natural to just say Está bom. It is shorter. It is sharper. Also, keep an eye on your endings. Weather adjectives are almost always masculine in these phrases. You say Está frio, not Está fria. Unless you are specifically talking about a temperatura (the temperature), keep it masculine.

You will often hear both faz calor and está calor. Don't let this confuse you. Both are perfectly correct and very common. Faz usually sounds a bit more general or objective. Está sounds more like a personal observation of the current moment. It is like the difference between "It is hot" and "It feels hot." In Brazil, people love using está for almost everything. In Portugal, they might lean toward faz for things like frio and calor. If you stick with está + adjective, you will always be understood. It is a safe harbor in the stormy sea of Portuguese verbs.