puer
/pɥe/
To stink in French is to puer. Wiktionary also lists empester.
Meaning: have a strong bad smell (verb)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| puer | /pɥe/ /py.e/ |
| empester | /ɑ̃.pɛs.te/ |
While the noun puanteur refers to a strong bad smell, the related noun tapage is used informally to mean a complaint or an objection.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the verb schlinguer is used to convey the idea of something stinking.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person singular present tense of puer is pue (stinks), and the third-person singular imperfect tense is puait (stank).
How do you pronounce it?
/pɥe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to use sentir mal as a direct synonym for puer. However, puer is much more visceral and carries a stronger connotation of a foul, offensive odor.
Did you know?
- In French, the verb puer is used idiomatically to describe a situation that seems suspicious or fishy. If a deal pue, it means something is dishonest about it.
- The word empester is derived from peste, the French word for 'plague'. To stink is literally to be as foul as a plague outbreak.
- The verb puer is used in the phrase puer la peur, meaning 'to stink of fear'. This describes someone whose nervousness is so obvious it is almost tangible.
Examples in context
- La poubelle sent mauvais.The garbage bin stinks.
- Les chaussures neuves exhalent une mauvaise odeur.New shoes give off a bad odor.
- Qu'est-ce qui pue autant ici ?What stinks so much in here?
- Ce poisson schlingue !This fish stinks!
- Après l'exercice, il sent mauvais.After exercising, he stinks.
- Ça pue ici !It stinks here!
- Jennifer a toujours mauvaise haleine.Jennifer always has bad breath.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stink” translations and entries puer, empester, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries empester, puer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
