Huele bien
/wele bjen/from spelling rules
The phrase 'smells good' translates to Spanish as Huele bien.
Huele bien is used to state that something has a pleasant scent.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many Spanish-speaking regions, it is common to replace bien with rico in the phrase Huele rico to emphasize that a scent is particularly pleasant or delicious.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use the plural form Huelen bien if the subject is plural, such as Las flores huelen bien (The flowers smell good).
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Huele bueno. English speakers often make this mistake, but in this context, you should use the adverb bien to correctly describe how something smells.
Did you know?
- The word bien descends from the Latin bene, which is the same root used in English words like 'benefit' and 'beneficial'.
- In some Latin American dialects, using rico to describe a smell can also subtly imply that something is luxurious or high-quality.
- If someone says Huele a…, they are describing what something smells like, but Huele bien describes the quality of the smell itself.
Examples in context
- La casa huele bien.The house smells good.This sentence shows how to use Huele bien to describe a house.Tatoeba #2947835 by marcelostockle, translation #6946682 by evka
- Ese café huele bien.That coffee smells good.This sentence shows how to use Huele bien to describe coffee.Tatoeba #589168 by Shishir, translation #50495 by CK
- Ese perfume huele bien.That perfume smells good.This sentence shows how to use Huele bien to describe perfume.Tatoeba #3039835 by marcelostockle, translation #3022422 by sharptoothed
- La comida huele bienThe food smells good
- Esta loción tiene un olor agradableThis lotion has a pleasant smell
- Este pan desprende un aroma deliciosoThis bread releases a delicious aroma
- La cocina huele ricoThe kitchen smells good
- Huele realmente bienIt smells really good
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel enters the kitchen while Elena is cooking dinner.
- Daniel¡Hola Elena! Todo huele bien aquí.Hi Elena! Everything smells good in here.
- ElenaGracias, Daniel. Estoy cocinando pasta.Thanks, Daniel. I am cooking pasta.
- DanielLa salsa huele bien también.The sauce smells good too.
- ElenaYa casi está lista la cena.Dinner is almost ready.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
