smell
smell — 動詞
1. to release a particular odour into the air that another person picks up by breat
聞起來
散發出某種氣味
to release a particular odour into the air that another person picks up by breathing in through the nose — such as hot bread fresh from the oven, or socks after a long run.
The kitchen smelled of fresh bread and warm cinnamon.
廚房裡飄著新鮮麵包和溫暖肉桂的香氣。
smell + of [ingredient/scent]
After the storm, the whole house smelled damp and musty.
暴風雨過後，整間房子聞起來又濕又霉。
Élise's new perfume smells like jasmine and vanilla.
Élise 的新香水聞起來有茉莉花和香草的味道。
This milk smells strange — I think it has gone bad.
這牛奶聞起來怪怪的——我想它壞掉了。
The old books in the library smelled of paper and dust.
圖書館裡那些舊書散發著紙張和灰塵的氣味。
文法句型
smell + adjective
smell + of + noun
smell + like + noun
smell + [adverb]
用法筆記
Stative verb; takes an adjective complement, not an adverb. 'The soup smells good' ✓, not 'The soup smells well' ✗. Often followed by 'of' (smells of smoke) or 'like' (smells like bananas).
常見錯誤
2. to notice a particular smell by using your nose — for example, smelling smoke be
聞到；嗅到
用鼻子察覺某種氣味
to notice a particular smell by using your nose — for example, smelling smoke before you see the fire, or smelling flowers as you walk past them.
Kofi smelled smoke as soon as he opened the apartment door.
Kofi 一打開公寓門就聞到煙味。
smell + gas/smoke/food (detectable thing)
Can you smell something burning in the kitchen?
你聞到廚房裡有東西燒焦了嗎？
Talia bent down to smell the roses in the garden.
Talia 彎下腰去聞花園裡的玫瑰。
The dog smelled the food from two rooms away.
那隻狗從兩個房間外就聞到食物的味道了。
文法句型
smell + noun phrase
can/could + smell + noun phrase
用法筆記
Transitive; takes a direct object. Frequently used with 'can' to emphasise the act of noticing in the moment: 'Can you smell garlic?' Progressive form is uncommon for this sense (not 'I am smelling smoke').
常見錯誤
3. to know or suspect that something is happening or is about to happen, without be
察覺；嗅出
憑直覺感到某事有問題或將發生
to know or suspect that something is happening or is about to happen, without being directly told — for example, smelling danger in a quiet street, or smelling a lie in someone's excuse.
The detective smelled trouble when the witness changed his story.
證人改變說詞時，那位偵探察覺到情況不對勁。
smell + [figurative: trouble/danger/opportunity]
Hoa could smell that something was wrong the moment she walked into the meeting.
Hoa 一走進會議室就感覺事情不太對勁。
smell + that-clause (figurative)
Investors smelled a good opportunity and offered to fund the startup.
投資人嗅到好機會，主動提出要資助這家新創公司。
Ramón smelled fear in the other team before the match even started.
比賽還沒開始，Ramón 就感覺到對手在害怕。
文法句型
smell + noun phrase (figurative)
smell + that-clause
can/could + smell + noun phrase
用法筆記
Figurative extension of the physical sense. Used both transitively (smell trouble) and with a that-clause (smelt that something was wrong). Rarely used in progressive forms. Common with 'can/could' to emphasise intuitive detection.
常見錯誤
❌ 'She smelled that he was lying after checking his alibi.' (implying physical smell) — This figurative sense works even when no physical odor is present; just make sure context makes the figurative meaning clear.
4. to have the physical ability to use your nose to notice smells — different from
有嗅覺
具備用鼻子辨識氣味的能力
to have the physical ability to use your nose to notice smells — different from actually smelling something at a specific moment.
Some animals can smell water from several kilometres away.
有些動物能從幾公里外聞到水源。
can + smell + [object] (ability)
After the accident, Devika could not smell anything for three months.
那次事故之後，Devika 有三個月聞不到任何味道。
Sharks can smell blood in the ocean from a great distance.
鯊魚能從非常遠的地方就聞到海洋中的血腥味。
I have a cold today and I cannot smell a thing.
我今天感冒了，什麼味道都聞不到。
文法句型
can/cannot + smell
can + smell + noun phrase (ability)
用法筆記
Used with 'can' or 'cannot' to describe olfactory capability, not a single act of smelling. 'Dogs can smell better than humans' describes general ability, not a specific moment. Not used in progressive form for this meaning.
常見錯誤
smell — 名詞
1. the quality of something that you notice through your nose — whether pleasant, l
氣味；味道
鼻子所能感知的物質特性
the quality of something that you notice through your nose — whether pleasant, like the smell of fresh flowers, or unpleasant, like the smell of old rubbish.
The smell of fresh coffee filled the entire office.
新鮮咖啡的香氣充滿了整個辦公室。
the smell of + [source noun]
There was a strange smell coming from the drain in the bathroom.
浴室的排水管傳來一股奇怪的味道。
Christopher loved the smell of the sea every time he visited the coast.
Christopher 每次去海邊都喜歡海水的味道。
The flowers in the garden gave off a sweet smell that attracted bees.
花園裡的花朵散發出甜甜的香氣，吸引了蜜蜂。
- scent
neutral to positive; often subtle or pleasant; also used for animal smells
- odor
neutral to negative in everyday English; more common in scientific/medical contexts
- fragrance
positive; used for sweet, pleasant smells like perfume or flowers
- aroma
positive; used for pleasant food or drink smells (coffee, wine, baked goods)
- stench
strongly negative; a very bad, offensive smell
文法句型
a + adjective + smell
the smell of + noun
there is/was a smell of
用法筆記
A neutral word covering both good and bad smells. For a distinctly good smell, use 'scent', 'fragrance', or 'aroma'. For a distinctly bad smell, use 'stench' or 'stink'. Can be both countable (a strange smell) and uncountable (the smell of smoke filled the room).
常見錯誤
2. the general impression, feeling, or character that a place, situation, or period
氣息；氛圍
某事物給人的整體感覺或印象
the general impression, feeling, or character that a place, situation, or period of time gives you — as if you could sense it like a physical smell.
The old house had the smell of a place that had been empty for years.
那棟老房子散發出一種多年無人居住的氣息。
the smell of + [abstract/scene] (figurative)
The smell of victory filled the air after the team won the championship.
球隊贏得冠軍後，勝利氣息瀰漫在空氣中。
A smell of corruption hung over the whole government agency.
整個政府機構籠罩著一股腐敗的氣息。
Lian said the whole negotiation had the smell of a deal that was about to fall apart.
Lian 說整場談判散發著交易即將破局的氣息。
- air
a more general word for the feeling of a place; 'an air of mystery'
- atmosphere
broader in meaning — covers all emotional qualities of a place
- aura
suggests a mysterious or spiritual quality surrounding someone or something
文法句型
the smell of + abstract noun
a/the smell of [characteristic quality]
用法筆記
Always figurative — does not refer to an actual physical smell. Common with abstract nouns: smell of success, smell of danger, smell of fear. Usually singular: 'a smell of something' or 'the smell of something'.
常見錯誤
❌ 'The room had a smell of success.' (too literal) — Best to use 'smell' figuratively only when the context is clearly non-physical. 'The whole campaign had the smell of success about it' works better.
3. the physical ability of a living being to notice and recognise different smells
嗅覺
用鼻子分辨氣味的能力
the physical ability of a living being to notice and recognise different smells using the nose.
Dogs have a much keener sense of smell than humans.
狗的嗅覺比人類敏銳很多。
sense of smell + adjective (keen/good/acute)
Some people lose their sense of smell after a bad cold.
有些人重感冒之後會失去嗅覺。
The wine expert had an incredible sense of smell that could detect the subtlest notes.
那位品酒專家的嗅覺非常敏銳，連最細微的風味都能分辨出來。
Certain jobs, like being a firefighter, require a good sense of smell.
某些工作，例如消防員，需要有良好的嗅覺。
文法句型
sense of smell
a + adjective + sense of smell
用法筆記
Uncountable — 'sense of smell' as a single faculty. Not 'a sense of smell' when referring to possession (Dogs have a good sense of smell ✓). Always paired with 'sense of': never just 'smell' alone for this meaning ('My smell is weak' ✗ → 'My sense of smell is weak' ✓).
常見錯誤
4. a single action where you move your nose up to an object and draw air inward to
聞一下
湊近鼻子吸氣以辨別氣味的動作
a single action where you move your nose up to an object and draw air inward to find out what odour it has.
Nikhil took one smell of the soup and knew it needed more salt.
Nikhil 聞了一下那鍋湯，就知道鹽放得不夠。
take a smell of + noun
The doctor asked for a smell of the patient's breath to check for infection.
醫生請病人呼一口氣讓他聞，以檢查是否受到感染。
Carlos gave the milk carton a quick smell before pouring it into his coffee.
Carlos 把牛奶盒拿起來迅速聞了一下，才倒進咖啡裡。
One smell of the old book brought back memories of her grandfather's library.
聞了一下那本舊書，就想起了她祖父書房的回憶。
文法句型
take/have/give + a + smell
one + smell + of + noun
用法筆記
Used in expressions like 'take a smell', 'have a smell', 'give something a smell'. These are informal but not slang. The action is usually brief and deliberate. Overlaps with 'sniff', but 'sniff' implies a quicker, sharper intake of breath.