renifler
/ʁə.ni.fle/
To sniff in French is renifler.
The verb renifler is used to describe the action of making a short audible inhalation. It is commonly used to describe someone sniffing because of a runny nose or while crying.
Meaning: to make a short audible inhalation (verb)
Which one should you use?
The noun form of the verb is reniflement.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ʁə.ni.fle/. It has three syllables.
Did you know?
- While renifler describes the physical act, it can also be used metaphorically in French to describe someone 'sniffing around' or poking into things they should not, implying a sense of nosiness.
- The word renifler is a distant relative of the archaic English word 'neb', which used to describe a person's nose or a bird's beak.
- The root of renifler is so closely tied to the idea of a snout that the verb carries a slightly more animalistic or crude connotation than the polite English 'to sniff'.
Examples in context
- Tom s'est mis à renifler.Tom began to sniff.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use renifler in a sentence.Tatoeba #10546271 by Micsmithel, translation #3723638 by CM
- Marie renifla l'odeur des fleurs dans le jardin public.Marie sniffed the smell of flowers in the public garden.
- Elle a senti la pizza fraîche avant de la dévorer.She sniffed the fresh pizza before devouring it.
- Le chien s'est mis à renifler la piste.The dog started to sniff the trail.
- Elle ne fait que renifler à cause de son rhume.She is just sniffing because of her cold.
Example conversation
Emma is feeling unwell and Hugo notices her symptoms.
- HugoEmma, tu sembles mal en point.Emma, you look unwell.
- EmmaOui, je n'arrête pas de renifler depuis ce matin.Yes, I haven't stopped sniffing since this morning.
- HugoTu devrais peut-être prendre un médicament.Maybe you should take some medicine.
- EmmaC'est une bonne idée, merci Hugo.That is a good idea, thank you Hugo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sniff” translations and entries renifler, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries renifler, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
