cheiro
/ˈʃe(j).ɾu/masculine
The English word 'smell' (noun) is translated into Portuguese as cheiro.
cheiro is the most common and standard translation for 'smell'. If you want to say something has a smell of a specific thing, use the construction cheiro de followed by the noun, such as cheiro de café (smell of coffee).
Meaning: sensation (noun)
Which one should you use?
While cheiro is the common word for smell, odor is a more formal or technical term used in scientific or medical contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
cheirinho is an informal and affectionate way to refer to a pleasant or nice smell, often used in Brazil. In contrast, odor is used for formal writing or scientific discussions.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the noun cheiro is cheiros.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʃe(j).ɾu/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- In some regional dialects of Brazil, saying está com cheiro de can be used as a euphemism to suggest that something is suspicious or 'smells' like a lie.
- While cheiro is the standard word for smell, the word odor in Portuguese is much more likely to be perceived as something unpleasant or foul than its English counterpart 'odor'.
- The word cheiro shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the Sicilian word çagru, both tracing back to ancient roots.
Examples in context
- Que cheiro é esse?What's that smell?Tatoeba #2091839 by MarlonX19, translation #1886688 by CK
- Que cheiro é este?What's this smell?Tatoeba #2091840 by MarlonX19, translation #610369 by szaby78
- Sinto cheiro de medo.I can smell fear.Tatoeba #5168085 by bill, translation #2301336 by CK
- O cheiro das flores é encantador.The smell of flowers is enchanting.
- Qual é o cheiro desse perfume?What is the smell of this perfume?
- O odor do gás é bem forte.The smell of gas is very strong.
- Os pesquisadores estudam os diferentes odores dos alimentos.Researchers study the different smells of food.
- Que cheirinho gostoso de bolo!What a nice smell of cake!
- Essa loção tem um cheirinho delicioso.This lotion has a delicious smell.
- Essa comida está fedorenta, não conseguirei comê-la.This food is smelly, I won't be able to eat it.
- Por favor, coloque as meias fedorentas no cesto de roupa suja.Please put the smelly socks in the laundry basket.
- O perfume das rosas é encantador.The perfume of roses is enchanting.
- 104 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mariana and Rodrigo are in the kitchen.
- MarianaRodrigo, que cheiro bom vem da cozinha!Rodrigo, what a great smell coming from the kitchen!
- RodrigoEstou fazendo um bolo de chocolate, Mariana.I am making a chocolate cake, Mariana.
- MarianaEsse cheiro está me dando fome.This smell is making me hungry.
- RodrigoJá está quase pronto para comer.It is almost ready to eat.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “smell” translations and entries cheiro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cheiro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
