cheirar

Senses

1. 1.

   to smell

   to perceive an odor with the nose

2. 2.

   to sniff

   to inhale through the nose to detect a scent

3. 3.

   to smell like/of

   to have a particular odor (used with 'a')

4. 4.

   to snort (drugs)

   to inhale drugs through the nose (slang)

Examples

• "Deixa eu cheirar essas flores!"

  Let me smell these flowers!

• "A casa cheira a bolo fresco."

  The house smells like fresh cake.

• "O cachorro ficou cheirando o chão por um tempão."

  The dog kept sniffing the ground for a long time.

Usage

Very common verb in everyday speech. When meaning "to smell like," use the preposition 'a' (cheirar a café = to smell like coffee). The colloquial expression "cheirar cola" refers to sniffing glue. Don't confuse with "sentir cheiro de" (to smell something), which emphasizes perception.