Breakdown of Eu não quero nem perfume nem cheiro forte no escritório.
Questions & Answers about Eu não quero nem perfume nem cheiro forte no escritório.
Nem ... nem means neither ... nor.
So:
- nem perfume nem cheiro forte = neither perfume nor a strong smell
This is the normal Portuguese way to link two negative items. It is very common and natural.
Yes, but double negatives are normal in Portuguese. This is called negative concord.
In English, you usually say:
- I don’t want perfume or strong smells
or
- I want neither perfume nor strong smells
In Portuguese, it is very natural to say:
- Eu não quero nem perfume nem cheiro forte
Literally, it looks like I don’t want neither perfume nor strong smell, but in Portuguese that is correct grammar, not a mistake.
Yes. Portuguese often drops subject pronouns when the verb already makes the subject clear.
So these are both natural:
- Eu não quero nem perfume nem cheiro forte no escritório.
- Não quero nem perfume nem cheiro forte no escritório.
Including eu can add emphasis, contrast, or clarity. Without context, both are fine.
Quero is the 1st person singular present tense of querer.
- querer = to want
- eu quero = I want
So:
- Eu não quero = I don’t want
This is present tense, but like in English, it can express a current preference or rule.
They are related, but not identical.
- perfume = perfume / scented product specifically
- cheiro forte = strong smell / strong odor in general
So the sentence is broader than just saying no perfume. It also includes any other intense smell, such as:
- strong cologne
- heavily scented lotion
- strong cleaning products
- food smells, depending on context
In Portuguese, singular nouns are often used in a general sense.
So:
- cheiro forte = strong smell / strong odors in general
It does not necessarily refer to just one smell. It can mean the idea of anything with a strong smell.
You could also hear plural forms in other contexts, but the singular here sounds very natural.
Because Portuguese usually contracts em + o into no.
- em = in
- o escritório = the office
- em + o = no
So:
- no escritório = in the office
Other common contractions:
- em + a = na
- em + os = nos
- em + as = nas
Usually, yes: escritório means office.
Depending on context, it can refer to:
- an office room
- a workplace office
- a firm or professional office, like a law office or accounting office
In this sentence, no escritório most naturally means in the office / at the office.
Yes, that is also possible, but it changes the structure slightly.
- Eu não quero nem perfume nem cheiro forte = I want neither perfume nor strong smell
- Eu não quero perfume nem cheiro forte = I don’t want perfume or strong smell / I don’t want perfume, nor strong smell
Both are understandable and natural. Using nem ... nem gives a clearer neither ... nor pattern.
Cheiro often means simply smell and can be neutral or even pleasant, depending on context.
Examples:
- cheiro de café = smell of coffee
- cheiro bom = good smell
- cheiro forte = strong smell
If you specifically want bad smell, Portuguese often uses:
- mau cheiro = bad smell
- fedor = stink / strong bad odor
So cheiro forte does not automatically mean bad, but in this sentence it is clearly something unwanted.
A simple learner-friendly approximation:
- não sounds roughly like nowng with a nasal sound
- nem sounds roughly like neing or nem with a light nasal quality, depending on accent and speed
Important point: the vowel in não is nasal, not a plain English ow sound.
In connected speech:
- Eu não quero nem perfume...
the rhythm is smooth, and não quero often flows together naturally.
A rough approximation is:
- per-FU-mee
But more accurately in Brazilian Portuguese:
- the stress is on fu
- the final e is usually pronounced like ee
So it sounds closer to per-FU-mi than to English PER-fume.
Also, the Portuguese r and vowels are different from English, so try to imitate native audio if possible.
A rough approximation is:
- es-kree-TOH-ryoo
Key points:
- stress falls on tó
- the ending -rio is not pronounced exactly like English rio
- Brazilian pronunciation often makes it sound smooth and compressed
Listening to native speakers is especially helpful with this word.
No. Here forte means strong, because it describes cheiro.
- cheiro forte = strong smell
Portuguese forte can mean different things depending on the noun:
- som forte = loud sound
- café forte = strong coffee
- cheiro forte = strong smell
So the meaning depends on context.
It is basically neutral.
It sounds like normal, everyday Portuguese. It could be used:
- in conversation
- in a workplace discussion
- in a polite complaint
- as part of a rule or preference
If you wanted to sound more formal or softer, you might say something like:
- Eu prefiro que não haja nem perfume nem cheiro forte no escritório.
- Peço que não usem perfume nem deixem cheiro forte no escritório.
But the original sentence is perfectly natural and clear.
Yes. Nem has more than one common use.
Neither/nor
- nem perfume nem cheiro forte
Not even
- Eu nem sabia. = I didn’t even know.
- Nem ele veio. = Not even he came.
So in your sentence, nem is clearly the neither/nor use.