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French vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "to smell (something)" in French?
sentir
In French, "to smell (something)" is sentir.
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Pronunciation
som-TEER. Two syllables with stress on the second syllable.
Grammar notes
An irregular IR verb. Conjugates: je sens, tu sens, il/elle sent, nous sentons, vous sentez, ils/elles sentent. Also means to feel or sense.
Example sentence
Tu sens les fleurs.
You smell the flowers.
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How to remember sentir
Sentir connects to 'sense' - both refer to perception. Smelling is one of the five senses.
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Browse all French words in the glossary.
Questions about sentir
How do you say "to smell (something)" in French?
In French, "to smell (something)" is sentir. It is a noun.
How is sentir written in French?
sentir is written using the standard French script.
How is sentir used in a sentence?
Use sentir as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: Tu sens les fleurs. (You smell the flowers.).
Where can I practice French words for free?
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"To smell (something)" in other languages
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