odeur
/ɔ.dœʁ/masculine
The English phrase "scent" is translated into French as odeur.
odeur is a neutral term used to describe a distinctive odour or smell. To express how something smells, you can use the verb sentir, which functions both to mean "to smell" (the act of smelling) and "to smell like" (the state of having a scent). If something smells good, you say sentir bon and if it smells bad, you say sentir mauvais.
Meaning: distinctive odour or smell (noun)
Which one should you use?
While odeur is a neutral word for any scent, parfum is used specifically to refer to a pleasant or manufactured scent like a perfume. For a more poetic or literary touch when referring to a gentle and delicate scent, you may use the word effluve.
How does it change in a sentence?
odeur is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɔ.dœʁ/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In French, if you say ça sent without adding bon or mauvais, it is almost always interpreted as smelling bad. It is the equivalent of saying 'it stinks' in English.
- The expression avoir du nez literally means 'to have a nose' but is used to say someone has a great intuition or a scent for a good deal.
- The word parfum is used not only for scents but also for the flavorings added to food. A 'fragrance' in a cake or a tea is called a parfum.
Examples in context
- L'odeur du cèdre repousse les mites.The scent of cedar repels moths.This sentence shows how the scent of cedar affects moths.Tatoeba #10569176 by lbdx, translation #5351565 by Hybrid
- On dirait que le chat a détecté l'odeur d'une souris.It seems like the cat caught the scent of a mouse.This sentence illustrates a cat detecting a scent.Tatoeba #1066000 by sacredceltic, translation #1065415 by CK
- Ayant grandi dans une région rurale, j'ai le don de reconnaître différents types de fumier rien qu'à l'odeur.Having grown up in a rural area, I have a talent for identifying different kinds of manure by scent alone.This sentence describes the ability to recognize manure by its scent.Tatoeba #10601669 by lbdx, translation #10259754 by bekindtoall
- L'odeur des fleurs est agréableThe scent of the flowers is pleasant
- Ce parfum a une odeur enivranteThis perfume has an intoxicating scent
- Cet arôme de vanille me rappelle mon enfanceThis vanilla scent reminds me of my childhood
- Mon nouveau shampoing dégage un petit parfum de fleursMy new shampoo has a subtle flowery scent
- L'odeur de la mer me rappelle mes vacances d'enfanceThe scent of the sea reminds me of my childhood vacations
- L'odeur de pain frais dans la boulangerie est irrésistibleThe scent of fresh bread in the bakery is irresistible
- Elle porte toujours un parfum très chicShe always wears a very elegant perfume
- Ce parfum sucré me rappelle les bonbons de mon enfanceThis sweet fragrance reminds me of the candies from my childhood
- La cuisine française est connue pour ses arômes délicieuxFrench cuisine is known for its delicious aromas
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are walking through a flower garden.
- LucasTu sens cette odeur, Emma ?Do you smell this scent, Emma?
- EmmaOui, c'est une odeur magnifique.Yes, it is a magnificent smell.
- LucasElle vient de ces roses.It comes from these roses.
- EmmaLucas, elles sont vraiment parfumées.Lucas, they are truly fragrant.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “scent” translations and entries odeur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
