A steaming cup of coffee with swirling steam rising into the air, representing a pleasant scent.

aroma

ah-ROH-mah

nounmA2

scent?a pleasant or distinctive smell

Also:aroma?usually referring to food, coffee, or wine,fragrance?referring to flowers or perfumes

📝 In Action

Me encanta el aroma del café por la mañana.

I love the scent of coffee in the morning.

Las flores del jardín desprenden un aroma dulce.

The flowers in the garden give off a sweet fragrance.

El vino tiene un aroma frutal muy intenso.

The wine has a very intense fruity aroma.

Word Connections

Synonyms

fragancia (fragrance)
perfume (perfume/scent)
olor (smell (can be good or bad))

Antonyms

hedor (stench)
peste (stink)

Common Collocations

aroma embriagador – intoxicating scent
desprender un aroma – to give off a scent
aroma artificial – artificial flavoring/scent

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Masculine -a' Rule

Even though this word ends in '-a,' it is masculine. You must use 'el' or 'un' instead of 'la' or 'una.' This often happens with words that come from Greek.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'la' instead of 'el'

Mistake: "La aroma es dulce."

Correction: El aroma es dulce. Because the word is masculine, the words describing it (like 'the' or 'sweet') must match its masculine gender.

⭐ Usage Tips

Aroma vs. Olor

While 'olor' is a general word for any smell, 'aroma' is almost always used for something pleasant, like fresh bread or flowers.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: aroma

Question 1 of 2

Which of the following is the correct way to say 'The delicious aroma'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

aromático(aromatic/fragrant) - adjective

aromatizar(to scent/to flavor) - verb

aromaterapia(aromatherapy) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it 'el aroma' and not 'la aroma'?

Spanish has a group of words ending in '-ma' (like 'problema', 'idioma', and 'aroma') that come from Greek. These words are masculine, even though they look feminine because of the '-a' ending.

Is 'aroma' the same as 'perfume'?

Not exactly. 'Perfume' usually refers to a product you buy in a bottle, while 'aroma' refers to the natural smell of things like coffee, rain, or flowers.