Smell in Different Languages
Discover 'Smell' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The sense of smell is a powerful and often overlooked aspect of our daily lives. It has the ability to evoke memories, influence our mood, and even play a role in our attraction to others. But have you ever wondered how the word 'smell' translates in different languages?
Throughout history, the significance of smell has been recognized in various cultures. In ancient Egypt, incense was used in religious ceremonies to communicate with the gods. The Greeks and Romans also used fragrances in their daily lives, from perfumed oils to scented flowers. And in many Eastern cultures, incense is still used today as a symbol of spirituality and purification.
Understanding the translation of 'smell' in different languages can provide insight into how other cultures perceive and experience this sense. For example, in Spanish, 'smell' is 'olor', while in French it's 'odeur'. In German, it's 'Geruch', and in Japanese, it's 'kaori'.
Not only is learning the translation of 'smell' in different languages fascinating, but it can also be practical. Whether you're traveling, studying a foreign language, or simply interested in language and culture, understanding these translations can enhance your communication and cultural awareness.
Smell
Smell in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | reuk | ||
| "Reuk" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "rook" meaning "smoke", and can also refer to "incense" or a "whiff of something". | |||
| Amharic | ማሽተት | ||
| "ማሽተት" can also mean "to be stinky" or "to give off an odor". | |||
| Hausa | wari | ||
| The word "wari" in Hausa has a deeper meaning and etymology than just "smell." | |||
| Igbo | isi | ||
| "Isi" can also mean "head" or "thought" | |||
| Malagasy | fofona | ||
| The Malagasy word "fofona" can also refer to the sense of "feeling". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kununkhiza | ||
| The word 'kununkhiza' has another meaning, 'to understand', as in 'I smell what you're saying.' | |||
| Shona | munhuhwi | ||
| 'Munhuhwi' likely originates from the Proto-Bantu root -nuhun, meaning 'to sniff.' | |||
| Somali | ur | ||
| The Somali word "ur" can also refer to the scent of a person or animal, or to a bad smell. | |||
| Sesotho | monko | ||
| In Tswana the word "monko" also means "scent" or "aroma". | |||
| Swahili | harufu | ||
| Harufu can mean scent or fragrance, especially one associated with a particular object or place. | |||
| Xhosa | ivumba | ||
| The Xhosa word for "smell" is "ivumba," which also translates to "scent" and "stench." | |||
| Yoruba | orun | ||
| In some dialects of Yoruba, `orun` means `aroma`, and has a more positive connotation than `irun` (general `smell` or `odor`). | |||
| Zulu | ukuhogela | ||
| The Zulu word ukuhogela can also refer to the act of sensing or perceiving something. | |||
| Bambara | kasa | ||
| Ewe | ʋeʋẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | impumuro | ||
| Lingala | nsolo | ||
| Luganda | okuwunyiza | ||
| Sepedi | nkgelela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ehwa | ||
Smell in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رائحة | ||
| In Arabic, the word 'رائحة' can also refer to a person's reputation or character. | |||
| Hebrew | רֵיחַ | ||
| The Hebrew word "רֵיחַ" (reiakh) not only means "smell" but also "fragrance" and "odor", and is related to the Arabic word "ريح" (riħ), also meaning "smell" or "wind". | |||
| Pashto | بوی | ||
| The Pashto word "بوی" (būi) has alternate meanings of "fragrance" and "perfume". | |||
| Arabic | رائحة | ||
| In Arabic, the word 'رائحة' can also refer to a person's reputation or character. | |||
Smell in Western European Languages
| Albanian | erë | ||
| Erë comes from the Proto-Albanian word *hŋer- meaning 'stink', which is also found in the Gheg dialect of Albanian. | |||
| Basque | usaina | ||
| The Basque word "usaina" can also refer to the "odor" or "scent" of something, rather than just its general smell. | |||
| Catalan | olor | ||
| The Catalan word "olor" can also refer to a plant with a strong scent, known as the "flor d'olor" (flower of smell). | |||
| Croatian | miris | ||
| The Croatian word for "smell" 'miris' originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *mewr-, meaning "to rub" or "to grind", indicating that scents were originally sensed through touch | |||
| Danish | lugt | ||
| The Danish word "lugt" is etymologically related to the Dutch "lucht" and German "Luft", both meaning "air". | |||
| Dutch | geur | ||
| The Dutch word "geur" is cognate with "odor" and the English "garish" due to Proto-Germanic *ǥeura- referring to something striking. | |||
| English | smell | ||
| The word 'smell' originally meant to sniff or inhale, and is related to the word 'scent', which comes from the Latin 'sentire' meaning 'to perceive'. | |||
| French | odeur | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "smell," "odeur" can also refer to the scent of perfume or the fragrance of flowers. | |||
| Frisian | rûke | ||
| The Frisian word 'rûke' is derived from Old Frisian 'rûka' which also means 'to reek', and is cognate with the German 'riechen'. | |||
| Galician | cheiro | ||
| In Galician, "cheiro" also refers to the scent gland of animals. | |||
| German | geruch | ||
| "Geruch" in German is not only used to denote a smell, but also "fame" or "reputation" – just like its etymological cousin "odor" can mean "scent" or "honor". | |||
| Icelandic | lykt | ||
| In Old Norse, lykt meant 'light' or 'fire', and it was also used to refer to the smell of burnt meat. | |||
| Irish | boladh | ||
| The Gaelic word "boladh" also means "fragrance" and "aroma" and derives from the Old Irish "bolud", meaning "stink." | |||
| Italian | odore | ||
| The Italian word "odore" derives from the Latin word "odorari" (to smell), which in turn derives from the proto-Indo-European root "*h₂ew-" (to blow). | |||
| Luxembourgish | richen | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "richen" meaning "smell" is probably of Middle High German origin and is related to the modern German verb "riechen" which also means "smell". | |||
| Maltese | riħa | ||
| The Maltese word "riħa" can also mean "scent" or "fragrance". | |||
| Norwegian | lukt | ||
| Lukten translates to "smell" in Norwegian, but when used in relation to a person, it means "bad breath." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cheiro | ||
| "Cheiro" is used to mean "scent", but it is cognate with the English "clear", and originally referred to the clarity of water. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fàileadh | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "fàileadh" derives from the Proto-Celtic root (*fel), meaning "to smell." | |||
| Spanish | oler | ||
| The word "oler" in Spanish comes from the Latin "olere" meaning "to smell" or "to emit an odor". It can also mean "to perceive a smell" or "to have a strong odor". | |||
| Swedish | lukt | ||
| The Swedish word "lukt" is etymologically related to the German word "Luft" and the English word "loft," both meaning "upper space" or "air." | |||
| Welsh | arogli | ||
| The word 'arogli' can also refer to the sense of perception or the ability to perceive. | |||
Smell in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пах | ||
| The word пах comes from Proto-Slavic *paxъ, meaning "armpit" or "flank," and is cognate with the Russian пах (пах) and the Ukrainian пах (пах). | |||
| Bosnian | miris | ||
| The word "miris" can also mean "fragrance" or "scent". | |||
| Bulgarian | мирис | ||
| The word "мирис" (smell) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*mьrх", which also means "stench" or "rot". | |||
| Czech | čich | ||
| The word "čich" in Czech can also refer to a person's sense of smell or their ability to recognize and distinguish different scents. | |||
| Estonian | lõhn | ||
| The Estonian word "lõhn" is cognate with the Finnish word "haju" and has the additional meaning of "scent". | |||
| Finnish | haju | ||
| The word "haju" in Finnish is thought to be derived from the word "haiskaa" (to stink) or "haisua" (stench). | |||
| Hungarian | szag | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "szag" not only refers to smell, but also to odor and scent, and can also be used figuratively to describe a particular atmosphere or mood. | |||
| Latvian | smarža | ||
| The Latvian word "smarža" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*smar" (stink) but may also refer to the scent of perfume or the aroma of food. | |||
| Lithuanian | kvapas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "kvapas" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *kwe-p-, meaning "to breathe or blow". This root is also the origin of the Latin word "vapor". In addition to "smell", "kvapas" can also mean "odor", "scent", "aroma", or "perfume". | |||
| Macedonian | мирис | ||
| The Slavic word "мирис" is related to the Latin word "murra", meaning "myrrh", and the Greek word "μύρρον", meaning "fragrant oil or resin". | |||
| Polish | zapach | ||
| In some contexts, "zapach" can also refer to a distinct, strong, or unpleasant odor. | |||
| Romanian | miros | ||
| Romanian word 'miros' (smell) originates from Proto-Slavic 'mirisa' and is related to Sanskrit 'mrd' (rub) and Albanian 'mërzi' (stink). | |||
| Russian | запах | ||
| In Russian, "запах" can also refer to one's reputation or standing in society. | |||
| Serbian | мирисати | ||
| The word "мирисати" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "mir" meaning "world" or "peace", indicating the sense of smell's role in perceiving and interacting with the surrounding environment. | |||
| Slovak | vôňa | ||
| In Slovak, "vôňa" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *vonja*, meaning "fragrance", and also relates to the word "voniať", meaning "to smell (good)". | |||
| Slovenian | vonj | ||
| "Vonj" is an old Slavic word used for various types of aromas, scents and smells. | |||
| Ukrainian | запах | ||
| The word "запах" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *zapъxъ*, which meant both "smell" and "odor". | |||
Smell in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গন্ধ | ||
| The word 'গন্ধ' ('smell') in Bengali can refer to both a pleasant or an unpleasant odor, or to a fragrance. | |||
| Gujarati | ગંધ | ||
| The word "ગંધ" also has the alternate meaning "scent" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "गन्ध" (gandha). | |||
| Hindi | गंध | ||
| The Hindi word "गंध" (smell) originates from the Sanskrit words "घाण" (to smell) and "धा" (to hold) | |||
| Kannada | ವಾಸನೆ | ||
| The word "ವಾಸನೆ" in Kannada can also refer to a person's personal fragrance or the scent of a place. | |||
| Malayalam | മണം | ||
| The word 'manam' can also mean 'fragrance', 'odor', or 'scent'. | |||
| Marathi | गंध | ||
| The word "गंध" in Marathi can also refer to fragrance, scent, or aroma. | |||
| Nepali | गन्ध | ||
| The word "गन्ध" (gandha) also refers to a type of perfume or fragrance in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਗੰਧ | ||
| The word "ਗੰਧ" can also refer to "disgrace" or "bad reputation" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සුවඳ | ||
| The word 'සුවඳ' can also refer to a 'scent' or 'fragrance' that is pleasing to the senses. | |||
| Tamil | வாசனை | ||
| வாசனை can also refer to fragrance or perfume, or the sense of smell. | |||
| Telugu | వాసన | ||
| The Telugu word "వాసన" (smell) is derived from the Sanskrit word "वासन" (dwelling place or abode) and also refers to "mental impressions" or "tendencies" in the Vaishnava philosophical tradition. | |||
| Urdu | بو | ||
| بو, or 'boo' in Urdu, can also mean "scent," "aroma," or "fragrance," when used in a positive context. | |||
Smell in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 闻 | ||
| The word "闻" also means "to hear" or "to inquire" in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 聞 | ||
| When used in a compound word, '聞' often takes the meaning of 'listen'. For example, the word '聞香' means 'to smell', while '聞言' means 'to hear'. | |||
| Japanese | におい | ||
| The Japanese word "におい" can also refer to a "fragrance" or "scent". | |||
| Korean | 냄새 | ||
| The word "냄새" can also mean "odor, stench, or fragrance", depending on the context. | |||
| Mongolian | үнэр | ||
| "үнэр" also means "taste" and may derive from "үнэ" (price), as both taste and smell influence value. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အနံ့ | ||
| The word "အနံ့" can also refer to the sense of smell, or the olfactory sense. | |||
Smell in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bau | ||
| The word "bau" can also mean "odor", "scent", or "aroma". | |||
| Javanese | ambune | ||
| The word "ambune" in Javanese is cognate to the Malay "bau" and means not only "smell", but can also refer to other sensory experiences such as taste or sound. | |||
| Khmer | ក្លិន | ||
| The word "ក្លិន" also refers to the scent of a flower or perfume. | |||
| Lao | ກິ່ນ | ||
| The term can also refer to a sense of humor or character in Laotian culture, as in “mai pen rai kin khao mai pen kin khao” (don't smell the rice, smell the meat). | |||
| Malay | bau | ||
| The Malay word "bau" also refers to the aroma or scent of something, rather than its unpleasant odor. | |||
| Thai | กลิ่น | ||
| The Thai word 'กลิ่น' can also refer to the reputation, aura or character of a person, such as a good or bad reputation. | |||
| Vietnamese | mùi | ||
| Mùi in Vietnamese can mean either "smell" or "flavor" depending on context. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | amoy | ||
Smell in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | iy | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "iy" can also mean "unpleasant smell". | |||
| Kazakh | иіс | ||
| "Иіс" (smell) in Kazakh also means aroma, scent, and odor. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жыт | ||
| The word "жыт" in Kyrgyz can also refer to the scent left behind by smoke. | |||
| Tajik | бӯй | ||
| The word "бӯй" in Tajik has an alternate use as a euphemism for "fart". | |||
| Turkmen | ys | ||
| Uzbek | hid | ||
| The Uzbek word "hid" also means "scent" or "aroma". | |||
| Uyghur | پۇراق | ||
Smell in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pilau | ||
| In Hawaiian, "pilau" can also mean "to sniff" or "to smell out" something. | |||
| Maori | kakara | ||
| The word 'kakara' can also refer to a Māori nose flute, a type of musical instrument. | |||
| Samoan | manogi | ||
| "Manogi" is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word *manogi, meaning "fragrance" or "scent." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | amoy | ||
| The word "amoy" in Tagalog can also be used informally to mean flattery. | |||
Smell in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mukhiña | ||
| Guarani | hetũ | ||
Smell in International Languages
| Esperanto | odoro | ||
| "Odoro" also means "scent" as in "odor". | |||
| Latin | nidore | ||
| The Latin word "nidore" can also refer to a pungent or offensive smell. | |||
Smell in Others Languages
| Greek | μυρωδιά | ||
| The word "μυρωδιά" is derived from the ancient Greek word "μύρον", meaning "sweet-smelling oil" or "perfume". | |||
| Hmong | hnov tsw | ||
| Hnov tsw is also used to mean 'to be smelly'. | |||
| Kurdish | bîn | ||
| The Kurmanci word "bîn" also means "appearance" or "look". | |||
| Turkish | koku | ||
| In Turkish, "koku" also means "the sense of smell".} | |||
| Xhosa | ivumba | ||
| The Xhosa word for "smell" is "ivumba," which also translates to "scent" and "stench." | |||
| Yiddish | שמעקן | ||
| The Yiddish word "shmeken" can also mean "to taste" and originates from the Old High German word "smecken". | |||
| Zulu | ukuhogela | ||
| The Zulu word ukuhogela can also refer to the act of sensing or perceiving something. | |||
| Assamese | গোন্ধ | ||
| Aymara | mukhiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | गंध | ||
| Dhivehi | ވަސް | ||
| Dogri | मुश्क | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | amoy | ||
| Guarani | hetũ | ||
| Ilocano | angot | ||
| Krio | smɛl | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بۆن | ||
| Maithili | गंध | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯅꯝ | ||
| Mizo | rim | ||
| Oromo | foolii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗନ୍ଧ | ||
| Quechua | muskiy | ||
| Sanskrit | गंध | ||
| Tatar | ис | ||
| Tigrinya | ጨና | ||
| Tsonga | risema | ||