Under one of the senses, “smell / l’odorat,” does French make a distinction between a pleasant and an unpleasant smell (stink), other than saying “ça sent bon / mauvais”?
April 16, 2012 at 9:18 am
(2) LKL - French Guide says:
Sure. Une odeur is neutral, but can be modified with adjectives like bonne and mauvaise. Un arôme is a nice smell, while une puanteur is a stink. There’s also a verb: puer = to stink.
Comments
Under one of the senses, “smell / l’odorat,” does French make a distinction between a pleasant and an unpleasant smell (stink), other than saying “ça sent bon / mauvais”?
Sure. Une odeur is neutral, but can be modified with adjectives like bonne and mauvaise. Un arôme is a nice smell, while une puanteur is a stink. There’s also a verb: puer = to stink.
Thanks. Your explanation is very helpful.