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A perfumaria foi decorada com espelhos brilhantes antes da abertura.

A perfumaria foi decorada com espelhos brilhantes antes da abertura.
The perfume shop was decorated with shining mirrors before the opening.
FromLesson 29inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about A perfumaria foi decorada com espelhos brilhantes antes da abertura.

What does perfumaria mean?
It means a perfume shop or cosmetics shop – a store specialized in selling perfumes, fragrances and related beauty products.
Why is foi decorada used instead of an active verb form like decorou?

Because foi decorada is the passive voice (ser + past participle). It emphasizes that the shop received the decoration rather than who did it. In active voice you could say, for example:
• Decoraram a perfumaria com espelhos brilhantes… (They decorated the perfume shop…)
• Or even Alguém decorou a perfumaria…

What function does com espelhos brilhantes have in the sentence?
It’s an instrumental complement, introduced by com (‘with’), indicating what was used to decorate the shop (i.e. it was decorated with shiny mirrors).
Why is the adjective placed after the noun in espelhos brilhantes? Can it go before?
In Portuguese, adjectives normally follow the noun: espelhos (noun) + brilhantes (adjective). You can place the adjective before for stylistic or poetic effect—brilhantes espelhos—but it sounds more literary or emphatic.
Why is it antes da abertura and not just antes abertura?
The preposition antes must be followed by de when it precedes a noun or noun phrase: antes de + noun. Since abertura is feminine, de + a contracts to da, giving antes da abertura (‘before the opening’).
Could you also say antes de abrir instead of antes da abertura?

Yes. You can use the infinitive (verbal form) instead of the noun:
• A perfumaria foi decorada … antes de abrir.
Both forms are correct; one uses a noun (abertura), the other a verb (abrir).

Why is brilhantes ending in -es here?
The adjective brilhante ends in -e, so it’s the same for both masculine and feminine in the singular. In the plural, you add -s, giving brilhantes for both genders to agree with espelhos (plural).
Is there any nuance between passive voice (foi decorada) and using a reflexive construction (decorou-se a perfumaria)?

Yes.
• Foi decorada is a true passive (ser + participle) focusing on the action’s recipient.
• Decorou-se a perfumaria is a se passive (the so-called índex pessoal): less formal, common in spoken/written PT-PT. Both mean the same, but the ser-passive feels more neutral/objective.

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