hueles a humedad
/weles a umedad/from spelling rules
The English phrase "you're musty" is translated into Spanish as hueles a humedad.
Use hueles a humedad to tell someone that they smell like dampness or mold. If you want to use a more informal way to say "you're stinky," you can say Estás apestoso/a.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from the verb oler (to smell), the preposition a (to/of) and the noun humedad (humidity/dampness).
Did you know?
- The word apestoso used for 'stinky' comes from the verb apestar, which historically referred to the plague or 'pestilence'.
- The preposition a in this phrase traces back to the Latin ad, meaning 'towards', which is why Spanish uses 'smell to' instead of 'smell of'.
- In some dialects, apestoso can be used colloquially to describe someone who is socially repulsive or 'stinky' in their behavior, not just their scent.
Examples in context
- ¡Oye, estás apestoso hoy! Necesitas darte una ducha.Hey, you're musty today! You need to take a shower.
- Cuidado, que hueles a humedad después de la lluvia.Be careful, you smell musty after the rain.
Example conversation
Alejandro smells Sofía's coat after she arrives from the rain.
- AlejandroSofía, hueles a humedad.Sofía, you smell musty.
- SofíaEs que mi abrigo se mojó mucho.It's just that my coat got very wet.
- AlejandroCuelga la prenda para que se seque.Hang the garment up so it dries.
- SofíaTienes razón, lo haré ahora mismo.You're right, I'll do it right now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, humedad, CC BY-SA 4.0.
