How to Say "Smell" in French - How To Say Guide

odeur

/ɔ.dœʁ/feminine

The English word 'smell' is translated into French as odeur. Wiktionary also lists parfum and goût.

Meaning: sensation (noun)

Ways to say it

The verb sentir is used both for the act of smelling something and for an object having a specific smell (e.g., Ça sent bon – It smells good).

While odeur is a neutral term for a smell, parfum is used specifically for pleasant or fragrant smells.

The noun odeur is feminine and requires feminine articles or adjectives, such as une bonne odeur.

/ɔ.dœʁ/ (two syllables)

English speakers sometimes confuse goût (taste) with odeur (smell) when describing sensory experiences, but they are distinct senses in French.

A French speaker might use the phrase avoir du nez (to have a nose) to mean someone has a good sense of smell, but figuratively it means they have great intuition or 'smell' a good opportunity.
The word sentir can also mean 'to feel' in a physical or emotional sense, meaning a single verb covers both the sense of smell and the sense of touch.
The word parfum comes from the Latin words per meaning 'through' and fumāre meaning 'to smoke'. It originally described the process of scenting something using smoke.

Quelle horrible odeur !
What a horrid smell!
This sentence is useful for expressing reaction to a bad smell using odeur.
Tatoeba #13217268 by lbdx, translation #12108044 by CK
Quelle est cette odeur ?
What's this smell?
This sentence is useful for asking about the identity of a smell using odeur.
Tatoeba #610360 by Archibald, translation #610369 by szaby78
D'où vient cette odeur ?
Where's that smell coming from?
This sentence is useful for asking about the source of a smell using odeur.
Tatoeba #6559089 by Aiji, translation #3824487 by CK
Je sens une odeur étrange dans la chambre.
I smell a strange odor in the bedroom.
Cette fleur a une bonne odeur.
This flower has a nice smell.
J'adore l'odeur des roses dans le jardin.
I love the smell of roses in the garden.
Ça ne sent pas très bon ici.
It doesn't smell very good here.
Je ne peux pas supporter l'odeur du tabac.
I can't stand the smell of tobacco.
Elle a reniflé la bouteille pour vérifier si le lait était frais.
She sniffed the bottle to check if the milk was fresh.
133 more sentences on Tatoeba

Nathan and Emma are walking through a forest.

Sources

Wiktionary, “smell” translations and entries odeur, parfum, goût, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries goût, odeur, parfum, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏