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"Oler" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to smell", and "olfatear" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to sniff". Learn more about the difference between "oler" and "olfatear" below.
oler()
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. to smell
Paso por la panadería todos los días solo para oler el pan.I walk by the bakery every day just to smell the bread.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. to smell
Huele a gas en este cuarto.It smells like gas in this room.
Este jabón huele muy rico.This soap smells very nice.
3. (colloquial) (to seem)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. no direct translation
The following examples show ways to translate this word or phrase without using a direct equivalent.
A mi papá le huele que el vecino se está robando sus periódicos.My father suspects that the neighbor is stealing his newspapers.
Este acuerdo me huele a corrupción.This agreement smacks of corruption.
olerse
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
4. (colloquial) (to imagine to be true)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
olfatear()
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (to nose)
a. to pry into
Los paparazzi comenzaron a olfatear la vida amorosa del príncipe.The paparazzi began to pry into the prince's love life.
b. to poke one's nose into
¿Cómo te enteraste de eso? Tienes que dejar de olfatear las vidas de los demás.How did you find out about that? You should stop poking your nose into other people's lives.
