Portuguese Phrase
O projeto está atrasado.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘The project is delayed.’ It indicates that the work is behind schedule, but it does not imply that the delay is permanent—it simply describes the current situation.
When to use
Use this phrase in professional contexts such as meetings, status reports, or emails when you need to inform colleagues or clients that a project is not progressing as planned.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Oprojetoestáatrasado
Definite article (O)
The masculine singular definite article 'o' is used before masculine nouns like 'projeto'.
Noun gender (projeto)
‘Projeto’ is a masculine noun, so it takes the article ‘o’ and agrees with adjectives in gender.
Verb estar (está)
‘Estar’ expresses a temporary state or condition; here it tells us the current status of the project.
Past participle as adjective (atrasado)
‘Atrasado’ is the past participle of ‘atrasar’ and works as an adjective meaning ‘delayed’.
🗨In Conversation
O projeto está atrasado?
Is the project delayed?
Sim, ainda falta uma semana para concluir.
Yes, we still need a week to finish it.
✕Common Mistakes
O projeto é atrasado.
Use ‘estar’ for temporary conditions; ‘ser’ would imply a permanent trait.
O projeto está atrasar.
After ‘está’ you need the past participle ‘atrasado’, not the infinitive.
O projeto está atrasada.
‘Projeto’ is masculine, so the adjective must be masculine too.
↔Alternatives
O projeto está atrasando.
The project is getting delayed.
O projeto está com atraso.
The project is behind schedule.
O projeto sofreu um atraso.
The project suffered a delay.
Cultural Tip
In Brazilian business culture punctuality and meeting deadlines are highly valued. Admitting a delay early and offering a concrete plan to catch up shows professionalism. Avoid using ‘é atrasado’, which sounds like a permanent characteristic rather than a temporary situation.