How to say “This smells strong” in Portuguese

Introduction

Learning how to describe smells in Brazilian Portuguese helps you navigate daily situations like restaurants, markets, and public transport. This article focuses on practical ways to say and respond to the phrase Isso está com cheiro forte and related expressions. You will get vocabulary, simple sentences, common replies, small dialogues, and beginner tips to feel confident using these phrases in real life.

Basic phrase: How to say This smells strong

The most direct way to say This smells strong in Brazilian Portuguese is Isso está com cheiro forte. This sentence is clear, neutral, and works in most everyday situations. We will break it down so you understand each word and how to change it for different contexts.

Phrase breakdown

Isso means this or that (neutral pronoun for things or situations).

está is the present tense of estar, used for current states or conditions.

com means with.

cheiro means smell or odor.

forte means strong.

Common variations and shorter alternatives

Depending on tone and formality, Brazilians use several shorter or more casual versions. Learn these so you can match the situation.

Está com cheiro forte — drops the pronoun Isso and sounds natural in conversation.

Que cheiro forte — means What a strong smell and is a bit more emphatic.

Que fedido — means How smelly or What a stink; more informal and indicates a bad smell. Note fedido is negative and should be used carefully.

Que cheiro ruim — means What a bad smell; less strong than fedido and polite enough for many situations.

Changing who or what smells: gender and number

Portuguese adjectives change with gender and number when attached to nouns. For the adjective forte, there is no change for gender, but you may need plural forms for nouns.

O cheiro está forte — The smell is strong (useful if you already mentioned the smell).

Os cheiros estão fortes — The smells are strong (plural).

Essa comida está com cheiro forte — This food smells strong (feminine noun comida).

Este peixe está com cheiro forte — This fish smells strong (masculine noun peixe).

Polite and softer ways to complain

In restaurants, shops, or polite company, a softer or indirect approach is better. Here are useful phrases for those situations.

Desculpe, isso tem um cheiro forte — Excuse me, this has a strong smell.

Você nota um cheiro forte aqui? — Do you notice a strong smell here?

Será que dá para abrir uma janela? Está muito cheiroso/cheiro forte — Could we open a window? It smells strong here. Use cheiroso if the smell is pleasant; use cheiro forte or cheiro ruim if unpleasant.

Vocabulary related to smell

cheiro — smell, odor

forte — strong

ruim — bad

bom — good

fedido — stinky (informal, negative)

suave — mild, gentle

perfume — perfume, fragrance

odor — odor (more formal)

Example sentences for everyday situations

Isso está com cheiro forte, você sente? — This smells strong, do you smell it?

A comida está com cheiro forte, melhor servir mais tarde. — The food smells strong, better to serve later.

O banheiro está com cheiro forte; precisa limpar. — The bathroom smells strong; it needs cleaning.

O lixo está com cheiro forte; vamos levar para fora. — The trash smells strong; let’s take it outside.

Na estação estava com cheiro forte de combustível. — At the station there was a strong smell of fuel.

Short dialogues: practical contexts

Situation: On a bus

Pessoa A: Isso está com cheiro forte.
Pessoa B: É, tem alguém com perfume forte hoje.

Situation: At a restaurant

Cliente: Desculpe, esta comida está com cheiro forte.
Garçom: Posso levar para a cozinha e verificar?

Situation: In a shared apartment

Morador A: O lixo está com cheiro forte.
Morador B: Vou levar lá fora agora.

How to describe pleasant vs unpleasant strong smells

Not all strong smells are bad. Use different words to express how you feel about the smell.

Que cheiro forte e gostoso — What a strong and pleasant smell. Use gostoso for enjoyable smells, like food or coffee.

Que aroma forte de café — What a strong aroma of coffee. Aroma is more refined and positive.

Isso está com cheiro forte e ruim — This smells strong and bad. Use ruim for general negative reactions.

Common mistakes beginners make

1. Using cheiro as a verb: Cheiro is a noun. Do not say *Eu cheiro* to mean I smell; use Eu sinto cheiro or Eu sinto for sensing a smell.

2. Confusing cheiro and sentir: Use sentir (to feel or to sense) when describing perception: Eu sinto um cheiro forte is correct.

3. Forgetting articles or agreement: With nouns, include articles when needed: O cheiro, A comida. Adjective forte does not change for gender, but pay attention to plural nouns.

Useful follow-up phrases and questions

Você está sentindo isso também? — Are you smelling this too?

De onde vem esse cheiro? — Where is that smell coming from?

Tem como abrir a janela? — Can you open the window?

Quer que eu tire o lixo? — Do you want me to take out the trash?

Tips for sounding natural

1. Use simple verb forms like está and sente for beginners. They are commonly used and easy to remember.

2. Pay attention to tone: polite forms like desculpe and poderia help in public settings.

3. Pair cheiro with quality words: forte, ruim, bom, suave to quickly express your opinion.

4. Observe context: if the odor is from food, mention comida; if from a place, mention banheiro, cozinha, ônibus, estação.

Additional realistic examples

Na padaria: Que cheiro forte de pão recém-assado! — What a strong smell of freshly baked bread!

No metrô: Está com cheiro forte de suor dentro do vagão. — There’s a strong smell of sweat inside the carriage.

No mercado: Tem um cheiro forte vindo da seção de peixe. — There’s a strong smell coming from the fish section.

When to use formal language

In formal or service situations, choose polite constructions to avoid offending someone. Use desculpe, senhor/senhora, or poderia as needed.

Desculpe, senhor, você pode verificar? Está um cheiro forte aqui. — Excuse me, sir, could you check? There is a strong smell here.

How to react if someone says isso está com cheiro forte

Polite replies:

Verdade, parece que vem da cozinha. — True, it seems like it comes from the kitchen.

Desculpe, vou checar agora. — Sorry, I will check now.

Obrigada por avisar. — Thank you for letting me know.

Beginner-friendly practice scenario

Imagine you enter a small café and notice a strong smell of coffee mixed with cleaning products. Use these sentences:

Você sente esse cheiro forte de café?

Está com cheiro forte, talvez misturado com produto de limpeza.

Desculpe, poderia abrir a janela, por favor?

Conclusion

Being able to say Isso está com cheiro forte and use related vocabulary gives beginners practical tools for everyday situations in Brazilian Portuguese. Use the variations, polite phrases, and dialogues above to describe strong smells, ask questions, and react naturally. Practice these short sentences in real contexts like restaurants, public transport, and shared spaces to build confidence quickly.