hueles a pescado
/weles a peskado/from spelling rules
To say "you smell like fish" in Spanish, use hueles a pescado.
This phrase is used to inform someone that their body or their breath has the scent of fish.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you can say Hueles a pescado or Hueles como pescado. In Argentina, you might say Tenés olor a pescado or Tenés olor como a pescado.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes based on the subject. While hueles is used for "you smell," the form huele a pescado is used to say "he/she/it smells like fish."
Did you know?
- Spanish has a specific word for the smell of the sea and coast, salitre, which is often used to describe a salty smell that is different from the scent of a pescado.
- While pescado refers to fish that has been caught, the word for a living fish in the water is pez. You would never say hueles a pez unless you were describing a very specific biological scent.
- The word pescado is actually a verbal derivative, coming from the Latin perfect passive participle meaning 'having been fished'.
Examples in context
- ¡Qué asco! Hueles a pescado.How disgusting! You smell like fish.
- Hueles a pescado después de limpiar el mercado.You smell like fish after cleaning the market.
- No te acerques tanto, hueles a pescado.Don't get so close, you smell like fish.
- ¿Por qué hueles a pescado hoy?Why do you smell like fish today?
Example conversation
María and Mateo are in the kitchen after cooking dinner.
- MaríaMateo, hueles a pescado.Mateo, you smell like fish.
- MateoEs verdad, preparé el salmón.It's true, I prepared the salmon.
- MaríaDeberías lavarte las manos.You should wash your hands.
- MateoTienes razón, iré ahora mismo.You are right, I'll go right now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, pescado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
