tu sens bon
To say "you smell good" in French, use tu sens bon.
This phrase is a compliment used to tell someone that their body or perfume has a pleasant scent. You can also use related expressions such as Ton parfum sent très bon (Your perfume smells really good), Tu as une odeur agréable (You have a pleasant smell) or Vous portez un parfum délicieux (You are wearing a delicious perfume).
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to a stranger, a person of higher authority or more than one person, you should use vous sentez bon instead of tu sens bon.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying tu sens bien. English speakers sometimes mistakenly use the adverb bien (well) instead of the adjective bon (good) after the verb sentir when giving this compliment.
Did you know?
- In French, if you tell someone tu sens without adding an adjective, you are likely implying that they smell bad.
- Because sentir means both 'to smell' and 'to feel', the very similar phrase je me sens bien actually means 'I feel good' instead of 'I smell good'.
- While tu sens bon is a compliment, the word sens is also used in French to describe a physical direction or a way to go.
Examples in context
- Tu sens bon.You smell good.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase tu sens bon.Tatoeba #4636154 by sacredceltic, translation #1895657 by CK
- Tu sens bon, ton parfum est super.You smell good, your perfume is great.
- Dis donc, tu sens bon ce matin !Hey, you smell good this morning!
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are greeting each other at a cafe.
- EmmaSalut Gabriel, tu sens bon !Hi Gabriel, you smell good!
- GabrielMerci Emma, c'est gentil.Thank you Emma, that's kind.
- EmmaC'est quel parfum ?What perfume is it?
- GabrielC'est un nouveau cadeau.It's a new gift.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
