How to Say “Scent” in Spanish

Ways to say it

Spanish uses different words to describe a scent based on how pleasant it is. Olor is the general, neutral term for any smell or odor. When the smell is pleasant, specifically related to food, coffee or nature, use aroma. If you want to describe the act of making something smell good or adding a scent to it, the most natural verb to use is perfumar.

Which one should you use?

The choice between the available forms depends on the quality of the smell and the context. Olor is the most common and neutral word used for any smell, including unpleasant ones. In contrast, aroma and fragancia both imply a pleasant scent. While aroma is typically used for smells from nature or food, fragancia is more common in formal or commercial settings, such as the perfume industry.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In some Latin American countries, particularly in Mexico, the word peste is used informally to describe a strong or unpleasant scent.

Related words

To detect the scent of (verb): oler.

To impart an odour to (verb): aromar, olorizar, perfumar.

How does it change in a sentence?

Although aroma ends in -a, it is a masculine noun in Spanish.

How do you pronounce it?

/aˈɾoma/

What mistakes should you avoid?

Because aroma ends in -a, English speakers often mistakenly treat it as a feminine noun. Remember to treat it as masculine.