huelo
/WAY-lo (The 'h' is silent)/
I smell
Huelo las flores. (I smell the flowers.)
huelo(Verb)
I smell
?using the sense of smell
I am smelling
?present continuous action
📝 In Action
Huelo las galletas recién horneadas.
A1I smell the freshly baked cookies.
¿Qué huelo? Es un perfume muy dulce.
A2What am I smelling? It's a very sweet perfume.
💡 Grammar Points
The Silent 'H' Rule
The 'h' at the beginning of 'huelo' is completely silent. It is only there because of the history of the word. Just pronounce it as 'WAY-lo'.
⭐ Usage Tips
The Root Verb 'Oler'
'Huelo' comes from the verb 'oler' (to smell). It is irregular only in the present tense (o becomes ue, and it gains the silent h) except for the 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms, which stick to 'olemos' and 'oléis'.
Huelo peligro. (I suspect danger.)
huelo(Verb)
I suspect
?sense danger or deceit
I sense something fishy
?informal detection of wrongness
📝 In Action
Huelo que algo raro está pasando con las cuentas.
B2I suspect that something strange is happening with the accounts.
Cuando miente, huelo la falsedad inmediatamente.
C1When he lies, I sense the falsehood immediately.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing State and Action
Mistake: "Huelo a queso (I smell the cheese)."
Correction: Huelo a queso means 'I smell like cheese' (describes my odor). If you want to say you are actively using your nose, you must specify the object: 'Huelo el queso' (I smell the cheese).
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
imperfect
present
preterite
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: huelo
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'huelo' to describe using your nose?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'oler' (to smell) suddenly start with an 'h' in the present tense (huelo)?
This is a historical quirk! The verb 'oler' used to start with an 'f' sound in Latin. Over time, that 'f' disappeared and was replaced by a silent 'h' in many Spanish words. Additionally, the 'o' in the stem changes to 'ue' (a 'stem change') in most present tense forms, leading to 'huelo,' 'hueles,' etc.
How do I say 'I smell bad' if 'huelo' means 'I smell (using my nose)'?
To describe your own odor, you would typically say 'Huelo mal' (I smell badly) or 'Tengo mal olor' (I have a bad smell). When you use 'huelo a [something]', you are saying 'I smell like [something]' (e.g., 'Huelo a rosas' - I smell like roses).