Antes de sair, eu olho no espelho e sinto o cheiro do perfume.

Before leaving, I look in the mirror and smell the perfume.

Breakdown of Antes de sair, eu olho no espelho e sinto o cheiro do perfume.

• eu: I
• e: and
• sair: to leave
• antes de: before
• do: of the
• no: in the
• olhar: to look
• o espelho: the mirror
• o perfume: the perfume
• sentir: to smell
• o cheiro: the scent

Questions & Answers about Antes de sair, eu olho no espelho e sinto o cheiro do perfume.

Why is sair in the infinitive in Antes de sair?

Because after the preposition de, Portuguese often uses the infinitive.

So:

• antes de sair = before leaving / before going out
• literally: before to leave/go out, though that is not natural English

This is very common in Portuguese. Since the subject is understood to be the same person as in the main clause, you do not need to repeat eu here.

You may also see:

• Antes de eu sair = Before I leave
• Antes de ela sair = Before she leaves

So the infinitive after de is completely normal.

What does sair mean here: to leave or to go out?

It can suggest either one depending on context.

In Antes de sair, sair often means:

• to leave
• to go out
• to head out

In a sentence about looking in the mirror and smelling perfume, many learners will naturally understand it as before going out or before leaving the house.

Why is there a comma after Antes de sair?

Because Antes de sair is an introductory phrase at the beginning of the sentence.

Portuguese often uses a comma after a fronted time expression or introductory clause, just like English often does:

• Antes de sair, eu olho...
• Quando chego em casa, eu descanso.

The comma helps separate the setup from the main action.

Do you need eu in eu olho?

Not always. Portuguese often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject.

So both are possible:

• Antes de sair, olho no espelho...
• Antes de sair, eu olho no espelho...

Why include eu then?

Common reasons:

• emphasis
• clarity
• rhythm/style
• contrast with someone else

In this sentence, eu is not required, but it sounds perfectly natural.

Is olho here a verb or a noun?

Here, olho is a verb: I look.

It comes from olhar:

• eu olho = I look
• você olha = you look
• ele/ela olha = he/she looks

This can confuse learners because olho is also the noun eye.

So:

• o olho = the eye
• eu olho = I look

Context tells you which one it is.

Why is it no espelho?

No is a contraction:

• em + o = no

So:

• no espelho = in the mirror / at the mirror

This is one of the most common contraction patterns in Portuguese:

• em + a = na
• de + o = do
• de + a = da

You should think of no espelho as a normal fixed form, not as something unusual.

Why does Portuguese say olho no espelho instead of something more like look at the mirror?

Because Portuguese uses different prepositions with olhar depending on the idea.

In Brazilian Portuguese:

• olhar no espelho usually means to look in the mirror
• olhar para o espelho usually means to look at the mirror

That is a useful distinction for learners:

• olhar no espelho = focus on your reflection / use the mirror
• olhar para o espelho = direct your eyes toward the mirror itself

So in this sentence, olho no espelho is the natural choice for I look in the mirror.

Should it be eu olho no espelho or eu me olho no espelho?

Both are possible, but they are slightly different.

• eu olho no espelho = I look in the mirror
• eu me olho no espelho = I look at myself in the mirror

The version with me makes the reflexive idea more explicit: you are looking at yourself.

The original sentence without me is still natural. It simply sounds a bit less explicit and a bit more general.

Why does it say sinto o cheiro do perfume instead of just cheiro o perfume?

Because sentir o cheiro de is a very common way to say to smell in the sense of to perceive a smell.

So:

• sinto o cheiro do perfume = I smell the perfume / I can smell the scent of the perfume

By contrast, cheirar can mean:

• to smell something actively
• to sniff

So there is often a difference in feel:

• sinto o cheiro do perfume = I perceive the fragrance
• cheiro o perfume = I smell/sniff the perfume on purpose

In many contexts, sentir o cheiro de sounds more natural for simply noticing a scent.

What exactly does o cheiro do perfume mean?

It means the smell/scent of the perfume.

Breakdown:

• o cheiro = the smell / the scent
• do perfume = of the perfume

And do is another contraction:

• de + o = do

So:

• o cheiro do perfume = the scent of the perfume

This is a very common Portuguese structure:

• o gosto do café = the taste of the coffee
• a cor do carro = the color of the car
• o som da música = the sound of the music

Why is there an article in do perfume? Why not just de perfume?

Because Portuguese uses articles more often than English.

Here, do perfume suggests a specific perfume, probably the one the speaker is wearing or using.

• o cheiro do perfume = the smell of the perfume
• cheiro de perfume = smell of perfume / perfume smell

The version in your sentence feels more specific and concrete.

So:

• sinto cheiro de perfume = I smell perfume
• sinto o cheiro do perfume = I smell the scent of the perfume

The second one sounds more definite.

Why are there two e actions in the sentence: olho no espelho e sinto...?

Because Portuguese, like English, often links actions with e = and.

So the sentence simply gives two things the speaker does before leaving:

1. eu olho no espelho
2. (eu) sinto o cheiro do perfume

Notice that Portuguese does not need to repeat eu in the second part, because it is still understood.

You could expand it as:

• Antes de sair, eu olho no espelho e eu sinto o cheiro do perfume.

But that sounds less natural unless you want emphasis.

Is the word order in this sentence especially important?

The given word order is very natural:

• Antes de sair, eu olho no espelho e sinto o cheiro do perfume.

Portuguese does allow some flexibility, but this version is clear and standard:

1. time phrase first: Antes de sair
2. subject: eu
3. first verb phrase: olho no espelho
4. second verb phrase: sinto o cheiro do perfume

A learner should treat this as a very good model sentence.

Is this sentence specifically Brazilian Portuguese?

Yes, it sounds natural in Brazilian Portuguese.

A small point learners sometimes notice is that Brazilian Portuguese commonly uses olhar no espelho for look in the mirror. That is normal in Brazil.

So if you are learning Brazilian Portuguese, this sentence is a useful, natural example.