oler

to smell

oler(oh-lehr)

transitive verb

1. (to perceive the smell of)

a. to smell

Huelo el humo en la ropa de mi esposo cuando fuma.

I smell the smoke on my husband's clothes when he smokes.

intransitive verb

2. (to have a scent)

a. to smell

Huele a gas en este cuarto.

I can smell gas in this room.

Este jabón huele muy rico.

This soap smells very nice.

3.

(colloquial)

(to seem)

a.

no direct translation

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

pronominal verb

4.

(colloquial)

(to imagine to be true)

a. to suspect

Ya me olía que algo estaba mal.

I suspected that something was wrong.

oler

transitive verb

1. (general)

a. to smell

desde aquí huelo el tabacoI can smell the cigarette smoke from here

intransitive verb

2. (despedir olor)

a. to smell

¡qué mal huele aquí!it smells awful here!

este guisado huele que alimentathis stew smells delicious

oler a rayosto stink (to high heaven)

3. (parecer)

a.

oler ato smack of

pronominal verb

4. (persona)

a.

olerse algoto sense something

ya me olía yo algo asíI suspected as much

Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited

oler

transitive verb

1 (percibir por la nariz) to smell

me gusta oler las flores I like smelling the flowers

2 (sospechar) to suspect

ha olido lo que estás tramando he suspects what you're up to; he's smelt a rat (familiar)

3 (curiosear) to poke one's nose into (familiar)

siempre anda oliendo lo que hacen los demás he's always poking his nose into other people's affairs

intransitive verb

1 (despedir olor) to smell;a of, like

huele muy bien [+comida] it smells very good; [+flor, perfume] it smells very nice; huele fatal it smells foul; huele que apesta it stinks; ¡qué mal huelen estos zapatos! these shoes smell awful!; huele a humedad it smells of damp; huele a tabaco it smells of cigarette smoke; aquí huele a quemado there's a smell of burning in here; le huele el aliento his breath smells; te huelen los pies your feet smell; huele que alimenta (familiar) (muy bien) it smells heavenly; (muy mal) it smells foul; it stinks to high heaven (familiar)

2 (indicando desconfianza)

sus excusas me huelen a camelo his excuses sound a bit fishy to me (familiar)

oler a chamusquina: todo esto me huele a chamusquina the whole thing sounds fishy to me

pronominal verb

olerse (sospechar) to suspect

nadie se había olido nada nobody had suspected anything; se olía que no iban a venir he had the feeling o suspicion that they weren't going to come

me huelo que se ha enfadado con nosotras