tu sens le poisson
In French, "you smell like fish" is said as tu sens le poisson.
This phrase is used to state that a person's body or clothing has the odor of fish.
Which one should you use?
If you are addressing more than one person, or if you want to use the formal version of "you," you should use vous sentez le poisson.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing that someone smells like a specific thing in French, you use the construction sens + le + [noun] rather than using a specific word for "like".
Did you know?
- In French, using tu instead of vous when telling someone they smell like fish can make the insult feel much more personal and aggressive. This is because tu is reserved for close friends or children.
- While sens means 'to smell' in this phrase, it also means 'meaning' or 'direction' in other contexts. A French speaker might use the same word to describe the 'sense' of a sentence.
- The word poisson is derived from the Latin piscem. This is the same root that gives English the word 'pisces' used in astrology.
Examples in context
- Tu sens le poisson après avoir nettoyé le filet.You smell like fish after cleaning the fillet.
- Reste loin de moi, tu sens le poisson.Stay away from me, you smell like fish.
- Pourquoi est-ce que tu sens le poisson ?Why do you smell like fish?
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are in the kitchen after preparing dinner.
- EmmaHugo, approche-toi un instant.Hugo, come closer for a moment.
- HugoQu'est-ce qu'il y a, Emma ?What is it, Emma?
- EmmaTu sens le poisson, c'est très fort.You smell like fish, it is very strong.
- HugoAh, j'ai oublié de me laver les mains.Ah, I forgot to wash my hands.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries le, poisson, sens, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
