Questions & Answers about Este perfume tem um cheiro bom.
Why does the sentence use este?
Este means this.
In traditional grammar:
- este = this (near the speaker)
- esse = that (near the listener or already mentioned)
- aquele = that over there
In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, though, esse is often used where careful grammar would use este. So Este perfume tem um cheiro bom is correct, but Esse perfume tem um cheiro bom is also very common in Brazil.
Why is it este perfume and not esta perfume?
Because perfume is a masculine noun in Portuguese: o perfume.
So the demonstrative has to match it:
- este perfume
- not esta perfume
This is something learners often have to memorize, because noun gender in Portuguese does not always match the word ending. Even though perfume ends in -e, it is masculine.
Why does Portuguese say tem instead of a verb meaning smells?