Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): O vento espalha o fumo do incêndio pela floresta. - The wind spreads the smoke from the fire through the forest.

O vento = “the wind” but can also mean “wind” in general.
O fumo = “the smoke” but here it also refers to the smoke as a whole, not just some random smoke.

In this sentence, the speaker has a specific situation in mind (a particular fire and its smoke), so:

O vento = the (known) wind that is blowing there
o fumo do incêndio = the specific smoke from that specific fire

If you removed the articles (vento espalha fumo…), it would sound poetic, headline‑like, or unnatural in normal speech.

Why is the verb espalha and not espalhar?

Espalhar is the infinitive: “to spread”.

Espalha is the 3rd person singular, present tense of espalhar:

eu espalho – I spread
tu espalhas – you (singular, informal, PT) spread
ele / ela / você espalha – he / she / you spread
nós espalhamos – we spread
eles / elas / vocês espalham – they / you (plural) spread

Here the subject is o vento (the wind), which is 3rd person singular, so we use:

O vento espalha… – “The wind spreads…”

Can espalha here be translated as “is spreading”, or does it only mean “spreads”?

In Portuguese, the simple present often covers what English expresses with “is _‑ing”.

So:

O vento espalha o fumo… can mean:
- “The wind spreads the smoke…”
- “The wind is spreading the smoke…”

Both are valid translations, depending on context.

If you want to make the “right now / in progress” idea very explicit in European Portuguese, you can also say:

O vento está a espalhar o fumo do incêndio pela floresta.

But in many descriptions or news reports, O vento espalha… is perfectly natural for a current, ongoing event.

What exactly does do mean in o fumo do incêndio?

Do is a contraction of the preposition de (“of / from”) + the masculine singular article o (“the”):

de + o = do

So:

o fumo do incêndio literally = “the smoke of the fire” / “the smoke from the fire”

This is how Portuguese normally expresses a “source” or possessive relationship:

o cheiro do café – the smell of coffee
a luz do sol – the light of the sun
o fumo do incêndio – the smoke from the fire

Could we say o fumo de um incêndio instead of o fumo do incêndio? Would it change the meaning?

Yes, you can say o fumo de um incêndio, but the nuance changes:

o fumo do incêndio = the smoke from the specific fire that we both know about (it’s identified in the situation).
o fumo de um incêndio = the smoke from a fire, some fire, not specified which one.

So do incêndio feels more concrete and situational; de um incêndio is more indefinite or generic.

Why is it incêndio and not fogo? Aren’t both “fire”?

Both incêndio and fogo relate to “fire”, but they are used differently:

incêndio = a large, destructive, uncontrolled fire, often in buildings or forests.
- um incêndio florestal – a forest fire
- um incêndio num prédio – a building fire
fogo is broader:
- “fire” as a phenomenon (campfire, flame, hearth, etc.)
- “heat” from fire
- also used in expressions (“Fogo!” = “Wow!” / “Damn!”)

In the sentence, the context is a fire in a forest, dangerous and destructive, so incêndio is the natural choice.

Why is the word for “smoke” here fumo and not fumaça?

This is mainly a European vs Brazilian difference.

In European Portuguese (Portugal), the normal everyday word for “smoke” is fumo.
In Brazilian Portuguese, fumaça is more common for “smoke”, and fumo is strongly associated with tobacco (the substance).

In Portugal:

fumo = smoke (from fire, cigarettes, etc.)
fumo de tabaco = tobacco smoke

So o fumo do incêndio is the standard European Portuguese way to say “the smoke from the fire”.

What does pela mean literally in pela floresta, and why not just por a floresta?

Pela is a contraction of:

por + a = pela

So literally:

pela floresta = “by the forest / through the forest / across the forest”, depending on context.

You normally don’t say por a floresta in standard Portuguese; you almost always use the contracted form:

por + o = pelo
por + a = pela
por + os = pelos
por + as = pelas

Examples:

andar pela cidade – walk around the city
correr pelo parque – run through the park

So pela floresta is the correct contracted form here.

Could we use na floresta instead of pela floresta? What’s the difference?

Yes, but the meaning changes:

na floresta = em + a floresta, “in the forest / inside the forest”
pela floresta = more like “through / around / across the forest”

In your sentence:

O vento espalha o fumo do incêndio pela floresta.
Emphasises the movement and spread of the smoke through the area of the forest.

If you said:

O vento espalha o fumo do incêndio na floresta.

it would still be understandable, but it focuses more on the smoke being in the forest, not so much on it travelling through it. Pela is more dynamic here.

Why is it pela floresta and not pelo floresta?

Because floresta is a feminine noun.

The contractions pelo / pela / pelos / pelas agree with the gender and number of the noun:

pelo = por + o (masculine singular)
pela = por + a (feminine singular)
pelos = por + os (masculine plural)
pelas = por + as (feminine plural)

Some examples:

pelo rio – through the river (masculine)
pela floresta – through the forest (feminine)
pelos campos – through the fields (masculine plural)
pelas ruas – through the streets (feminine plural)

So with a floresta, you must use pela.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move pela floresta or do incêndio to other positions?

Portuguese word order is relatively flexible, especially with prepositional phrases, though some orders sound more neutral/natural.

Your neutral version is:

O vento espalha o fumo do incêndio pela floresta.

You could also say:

O vento espalha pela floresta o fumo do incêndio.
(Slight emphasis on the place: through the forest.)
Pela floresta, o vento espalha o fumo do incêndio.
(More literary or emphatic; starts by setting the scene: Through the forest…)

You normally would not break o fumo do incêndio in the middle, for example:

✗ o fumo pela floresta do incêndio (this is awkward/wrong)

So: moving whole chunks like pela floresta is fine and used for emphasis, but keep o fumo do incêndio as a unit.

Can I omit the articles and say “Vento espalha fumo de incêndio pela floresta”?

Grammatically it’s possible, but it sounds:

journalistic / headline‑like (e.g. newspaper titles), or
poetic / very stylistic in normal writing.

In everyday speech or neutral prose, you’d normally keep the articles:

O vento espalha o fumo do incêndio pela floresta.

Portuguese relies on articles much more than English, so sentences without them often sound like headlines, slogans, or poetry.

How do you pronounce espalha and incêndio, and where is the stress?

1. espalha

Stress: on the second syllable: es-PA-lha
Approximate pronunciation (European Portuguese):
- [ɨʃˈpaʎɐ]
- es-: like a very short, almost neutral “ɨsh”
- -pa-: like “pah”
- -lha: the lh is like the “lli” in “million” (palatal L), the final a is very reduced, like a small “uh”

2. incêndio

Stress: on cên: in-CÊN-dio
Approximate pronunciation (European Portuguese):
- [ĩˈsẽdju]
- in-: nasal sound, close to “ing” but shorter
- -cên-: “sEN” with a nasal vowel; the ê carries the main stress
- -dio: “dju” (like “dyoo”)

So overall:

espalha ≈ “esh-PA-lyuh”
incêndio ≈ “in-SEN-dyu” (with nasal vowels on the first two syllables)