How do you say "smell" in French?

sentir

Verb Noun

In French, "smell" is sentir.

Listen to the pronunciation:

Free French learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games

Pronunciation

Say son-TEER, nasalizing the first syllable and stressing the final one with a rolled r.

Grammar notes

sentir is a verb used the same way as its English equivalent.

Example sentence

Je sens l’odeur du pain frais.

I can smell fresh bread.

Test your French knowledge in our free browser games.

How to remember sentir

Sentir also means to feel, since smelling something is really just feeling it with your nose.

Related words

Browse all French words in the glossary.

Questions about sentir

How do you pronounce sentir?

Say son-TEER, nasalizing the first syllable and stressing the final one with a rolled r.

Is sentir formal or casual?

sentir is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is sentir used in French?

sentir is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: Je sens l’odeur du pain frais. (I can smell fresh bread.).

Where can I practice French words for free?

You can play free French minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the French glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Smell" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the French language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

Noun Town language-learning game on PC, Mac and VR

The full experience

Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR

These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.

See the full game ▶

Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town