Spanish Conversation · Level 169
15 words
Spanish word
olfato
Pronunciation
IPA/olˈfato/
Meaning
- masculine nounsense of smell
Example
El perro tiene un olfato excelente.
The dog has an excellent sense of smell.
More examples
Ella tiene buen olfato para detectar mentiras.
She has a good nose for detecting lies.
Core concept
Person sniffing and catching a promising lead.
Common phrases
tener buen olfato
have a good nose
tener olfato para los negocios
have a nose for business
perder el olfato
lose one's sense of smell
Similar words
olor: Appears as a smell emitted by an object or present in the surrounding air.
nariz: Detects odors through the facial organ with nostrils on the front of the face.
aroma: Has a pleasant, agreeable scent often noticed as a mild fragrance.
perfume: Consists of a concentrated fragrant liquid applied to the body or clothing.
Definition in Spanish
Sentido que permite percibir olores por la nariz y, en sentido figurado, la capacidad de intuir o captar posibilidades.
Word origin
The Spanish word derives from Latin olfactus, the past participle of olfacere composed of olere 'to smell' and facere 'to make'.
Usage tips
- Olfato commonly appears in set phrases with tener (tener buen olfato, tener olfato para...) to mean intuition or aptitude, whereas olor refers to a specific smell.
Other meanings
- instinctnoun
- intuitionnoun
Related words
- olfativoolfactoryadjective
- olfatearsniff outverb