Breakdown of Por outro lado, a água cheira a eucalipto.
a água
the water
a
to / at (direction)
cheirar
to smell
por outro lado
on the other hand
o eucalipto
the eucalyptus
Questions & Answers about Por outro lado, a água cheira a eucalipto.
Why do we use a after cheira instead of como to mean "like"?
In Portuguese, sensory verbs like cheirar (to smell) and saber (to taste) take the preposition a to indicate what something smells or tastes like. Using como is a direct translation trap from English. If you said cheira como eucalipto, it would sound like the water is actively sniffing things in the same way a eucalyptus tree does!
Why is it just a eucalipto rather than ao eucalipto?
We leave out the definite article because we are talking about the general scent of eucalyptus, not one specific plant. If you were comparing the smell to a specific tree in your garden, you would contract the preposition a with the article o and say cheira ao eucalipto.
Is por outro lado the standard way to say "on the other hand"?
Yes, it is the most natural and direct equivalent. Literally meaning "by another side", you use por outro lado exactly as you would in English to introduce a contrasting argument or perspective.
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