Conversational Portuguese relies heavily on discourse markers—little words that guide the flow of dialogue. One of the most versatile is aliás.
| in fact / rather | aliás |
It generally serves two main purposes: adding emphasis to a thought or correcting a statement. Let's explore how to use it while learning the vocabulary of perfumery.
Emphatic Addition ("In fact")
When you want to build on a thought or add a stronger, reinforcing detail, aliás translates to "in fact", "moreover", or "actually".
| This fragrance is good. In fact, it is very striking! | Esta fragrância é boa. Aliás, é muito marcante! |
| The perfume smells like rose. In fact, it is very floral. | O perfume cheira a rosa. Aliás, é muito floral. |
| I am smelling the jasmine. In fact, the fragrance is unmistakable. | Estou a cheirar o jasmim. Aliás, a fragrância é inconfundível. |
Rectification ("Rather" / "Actually")
Aliás is also used to pivot, correct yourself, or clarify a previous point. In this context, it often translates to "rather" or "actually", and frequently follows a negative statement.
| I do not use that essence, rather, I prefer the vanilla. | Não uso essa essência, aliás, prefiro a baunilha. |
| The smell is not floral. Rather, it is quite woody. | O cheiro não é floral. Aliás, é bastante amadeirado. |
| The perfume does not smell like rose. Actually, it smells like jasmine. | O perfume não cheira a rosa. Aliás, cheira a jasmim. |
The Art of Perfumery
Notice how aliás smoothly connects practical observations about handling the bottle (o frasco) and applying the perfume (borrifar):
| I have not been spraying the fragrance, in fact, the bottle is full. | Não ando a borrifar a fragrância, aliás, o frasco está cheio. |
| You can spray it on the skin. In fact, the fragrance is not going to evaporate. | Podes borrifá-lo na pele. Aliás, a fragrância não vai evaporar. |