petricor
/petɾiˈkoɾ/masculine
The English word petrichor is translated into Spanish as petricor.
petricor refers to the distinctive scent that accompanies rain.
Meaning: distinctive scent which accompanies rain (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you may hear the expression Perfume de la lluvia or the phrase Aroma a lluvia reciente to describe this scent.
How does it change in a sentence?
petricor is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/petɾiˈkoɾ/
Did you know?
- The word petricor is a rare example of a scientific loanword moving from English into Spanish rather than from Latin or Greek directly.
- While 'petricor' is a valid scientific term, you are much more likely to hear a poet or a local say 'olor a tierra mojada', which literally means 'smell of wet earth'.
- While petricor is a noun, Spanish speakers frequently use the phrase olor a tierra mojada as a sensory marker for the arrival of the rainy season in rural areas.
Examples in context
- El petricor es muy relajante.The petrichor is very relaxing.
- Siento el petricor después de la tormenta.I smell the petrichor after the storm.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are standing on a balcony during a light rain.
- SofíaJavier, ¿puedes oler el petricor?Javier, can you smell the petrichor?
- JavierSí, es mi aroma favorito del mundo.Yes, it is my favorite scent in the world.
- SofíaA mí también me relaja mucho.It relaxes me a lot too.
- JavierEs increíble cómo cambia el aire.It's incredible how the air changes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “petrichor” translations and entries petricor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries petricor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
