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olfato

ohl-FAH-toh/olˈfato/

sense of smell

Also: smell
NounmA2
A friendly dog sniffing a vibrant red flower in a garden.

📝 In Action

Los perros tienen un olfato muy desarrollado.

A1

Dogs have a very highly developed sense of smell.

Perdí el olfato durante una semana por el resfriado.

A2

I lost my sense of smell for a week because of the cold.

El olfato es uno de los cinco sentidos básicos.

B1

The sense of smell is one of the five basic senses.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • pituitaria (nasal membrane/sense of smell (technical))

Antonyms

  • anosmia (loss of sense of smell)

Common Collocations

  • olfato agudo – sharp sense of smell
  • perder el olfato – to lose one's sense of smell
  • olfato fino – keen sense of smell

intuition, flair

Also: knack
NounmB2
A detective holding a magnifying glass, looking at a single glowing gold coin on the ground.

📝 In Action

Ella tiene un gran olfato para los negocios.

B2

She has a great nose for business.

Mi olfato me dice que esta oferta es una trampa.

C1

My gut tells me this offer is a trap.

El detective usó su olfato para resolver el caso.

B2

The detective used his intuition to solve the case.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • intuición (intuition)
  • instinto (instinct)

Common Collocations

  • tener olfato para – to have a nose/knack for
  • olfato periodístico – a nose for news

Idioms & Expressions

  • tener buen olfato – to be good at sensing opportunities or danger

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "olfato" in Spanish:

flair→intuition→knack→smell→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: olfato

Question 1 of 3

Which word should you use to describe the scent of a rose?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
oler(to smell) — Verb
olor(scent / odor) — Noun
olfatear(to sniff / to scent) — Verb
olfativo(olfactory / related to smell) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin 'olfactus', which comes from 'olere' (to emit a smell) and 'facere' (to make or do). It literally means 'the act of smelling'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: olfactoryFrench: odorat

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'olfato' used for bad smells?

No. 'Olfato' is the faculty of smelling. If you want to say something stinks, you would say it has a 'mal olor'.

Can I use 'olfato' to mean 'hunch'?

Yes! It is very common to say 'mi olfato me dice...' to mean 'my gut/instinct tells me...'

Is there a verb for 'olfato'?

Yes, 'olfatear' means to sniff or to actively smell something, like a dog does.