Breakdown of A água do pântano cheirava a lama.
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
a água
the water
a
to / at (direction)
o
him/it (m)
Questions & Answers about A água do pântano cheirava a lama.
Why do we use the preposition a after cheirava?
In Portuguese, the verb cheirar (to smell) requires the preposition a when saying something smells "like" or "of" something else. You cannot literally translate the English word "like" here.
Why is the imperfect tense (cheirava) used here instead of the preterite?
The imperfect tense is used because it describes an ongoing state or a background characteristic in the past. The water continuously smelled like mud, rather than the smelling being a single, completed action.
Could I say cheirava como lama since como translates to "like"?
No, that is a common trap for English speakers. While como does mean "like" in direct comparisons (such as "he runs like the wind"), sensory verbs for smelling or tasting rely strictly on the preposition a to express what the scent or flavor resembles.
Are there other sensory verbs that follow this exact same preposition pattern?
Yes! A very common one you should remember at this level is saber (to know / to taste). Just like this sentence uses cheirar a for "to smell like", you use saber a to say something "tastes like" a particular flavor.