"The flower smells nice" - can I use oler?

Question

I know I can say "la flor tiene una aroma buena", but is there a way to use oler to translate "the flower smells nice"?

Answer 1

I am just a beginner, but:

from here (bottom left of the page it should take you to, example under second bien entry): link text

las flores huelen bien

Also near the bottom of this: link text

The flowers smell good. – Las flores huelen bien.

And in our dictionary entry for oler:

este guisado huele que alimenta -> this stew smells delicious

So it seems someone thinks you can use that form.

This link may be helpful as well: link text

(This last link has comments by native Spanish speakers validating this usage).

From the native Spaniard (Valencia):

Oler has both the meaning of "being able to smell" and "having, or there being, a smell".

• "I can smell her parfum, she's been here." "Huelo su perfume, ella ha estado aquí."
• "That soup smells so good!" - "¡Qué bien huele esa sopa!"

• "It stinks in here..." - "Huele fatal por aquí..."

  [1]: http://books.google.com/books?id=1ygSThNA1-MC&pg=PA39&lpg=PA39&dq=las+flores+huelen+bien&source=bl&ots=ihVyD8v9hE&sig=wJqg5rqfrUaab_Qp8bKZcOt_YQQ&hl=en#v=onepage&q=las flores huelen bien&f=false

Sorry, I guess you will have to cut and paste the link to the merriam-webster dictionary. - Stadt, Apr 15, 2011

Stadt - thank you! - SiempreAprendo, Apr 15, 2011

Awesome - thanks for fixing those links - You rock!! - SiempreAprendo, Apr 15, 2011

Answer 2

"I'm pretty sure I cannot say: 'La flor huele bien (because flowers don't have noses)'. "

Yes, you can.

You can absolutely, positively say "las flores huelen"; el verbo transitivo "oler" representa la facultad de percibir olores, pero el verbo intransitivo "oler" habla de algo o alguien que emite olor/es.

So yeah...you can.

muy de acuerdo. - Deanski, Apr 15, 2011

Answer 3

oler.

1. Percibir los olores.

No huelo nada cuando tengo gripe. (I can´t perceive any odor when I have the flu).

...

1. Producir o despedir olor.

Las flores huelen muy bien. (Not because they don't have the flue, but because they emanates a nice odor).

Answer 4

I am not sure either because "oler" means "to smell" and flowers don't do that do they?

Exactly - flowers have a scent. In English you can say "the flower smells nice", and it doesn't mean the flower is sniffing. But I don't know the sentence structure in Spanish - where is lazarus1907 when you need a good grammar lesson? - SiempreAprendo, Apr 15, 2011

Answer 5

Any Spanish speakers around who can help with this?

Answer 6

Follow up because I'm not receiving any responses:

I'm pretty sure I cannot say:

La flor huele bien (because flowers don't have noses).

Can I say the following:

La flor se huele bien and have it translate as "the flower smells nice" ?