huelo
“huelo” means “I smell” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
I smell
Also: I am smelling
📝 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.
I suspect
Also: I sense something fishy
📝 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.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
imperfect
present
preterite
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: huelo
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'huelo' to describe using your nose?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb *olēre*, meaning 'to emit a smell' or 'to be fragrant'. When the word moved into Spanish, it was influenced by other words that started with 'h' and 'f', resulting in the silent 'h' in the modern form. The 'u' was added later to make the 'o' sound change to 'ue' in certain forms.
First recorded: Medieval Spanish
Cognates (Related words)
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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).