huele
“huele” means “smells (it/he/she)” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
smells (it/he/she)
Also: is sniffing, has a scent
📝 In Action
¡Qué bien huele este café! Es muy aromático.
A1This coffee smells so good! It’s very aromatic.
¿Por qué el perro huele tanto la basura?
A2Why is the dog smelling the trash so much?
Ella huele las flores antes de comprarlas.
A2She smells the flowers before buying them.
smells like (trouble)
Also: suggests
📝 In Action
Esa propuesta huele a fraude. No deberíamos confiar.
B1That proposal smells like fraud. We shouldn't trust it.
Cuando miente, siempre huele a excusa barata.
B2When he lies, it always smells like a cheap excuse.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: huele
Question 1 of 1
Which of these sentences correctly uses the figurative meaning of 'huele'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb *olēre*, meaning 'to emit a smell'. The irregular addition of the 'h' in Spanish happened because the sound *ue* at the beginning of a word often picked up a silent 'h' over time (similar to *hueso*).
First recorded: Medieval Spanish
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'oler' change to 'huele'?
'Oler' is an irregular verb that follows the O>UE stem-change pattern in many present tense forms (huelo, hueles, huele, huelen). It's one of the few verbs that uses an initial 'H' to accommodate the 'ue' sound at the start of the word.
Does 'huele' require a preposition?
Yes, when describing the *source* of the scent, 'huele' must be followed by the preposition 'a' (to). Example: 'Huele a pan caliente' (It smells *of* [literally 'to'] warm bread).