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olerse means to smell — a common term in Essential Spanish. Learn how it's used in a real-world example.

📅 Published: October 30, 2025

📘 Essential Spanish

olerse

verb • /[oh-LER-se]/

to smell

Example:

Esta sopa se huele deliciosa.

This soup smells delicious.

🧠 What does olerse mean?

The verb 'olerse' is the pronominal form of 'oler' (to smell). While 'oler' refers to the physical act of perceiving a scent, 'olerse' is used figuratively to mean 'to suspect', 'to sense', or 'to have a hunch about something'. It implies an intuition or a gut feeling that something is true or is about to happen, often something hidden or negative. The verb is irregular, with an 'o' to 'hue' stem change in some conjugations.

📚 Extra examples

  • Me olía que algo andaba mal en la oficina.
    I had a feeling something was wrong at the office.
  • Se olió la traición desde el principio.
    She suspected the betrayal from the very beginning.
  • Ya nos olíamos que nos iban a dar malas noticias.
    We already had a hunch that they were going to give us bad news.
  • ¿No te hueles que nos están mintiendo?
    Don't you suspect that they're lying to us?
  • El detective se olió el engaño a kilómetros de distancia.
    The detective smelled the deception from a mile away.

💡 Did You Know?

The key difference between 'oler' and 'olerse' lies in the shift from a physical sense to an intuitive one. While 'oler' (to smell) describes perceiving an aroma with the nose, adding the reflexive pronoun transforms the meaning to 'to suspect' or 'to sense', as if one is picking up on a metaphorical scent of trouble, deceit, or a future event.

🔁 Synonyms & opposites of "olerse"

Synonyms: sospechar, presentir, intuir, barruntar
Opposites: ignorar, desconocer, confiar, no tener idea

🔍 See more essential spanish words

❓ FAQ

How do you say 'to smell' in Spanish?
The verb for the physical act of smelling is 'oler'. For example, 'Huele las flores' (Smell the flowers). The pronominal form 'olerse' is used figuratively to mean 'to suspect' or 'to sense', as in 'Me huelo un problema' (I smell a problem).
How do you pronounce 'olerse' in Spanish?
The pronunciation is /o-LER-se/. The 'h' that appears in some of its conjugated forms, like 'huelo', is silent.
How do you use 'olerse' in a sentence?
'Olerse' expresses a suspicion or intuition. It is commonly followed by 'que' and a clause, or directly by a noun. For example: 'Me huelo que va a llover' (I have a feeling it's going to rain) or 'Me olí el problema' (I sensed the problem).
What is the English translation of 'olerse'?
Common English translations for 'olerse' include 'to suspect', 'to sense', 'to have a feeling', 'to have a hunch', or the idiom 'to smell a rat'.
Does 'olerse' change for gender or number?
No, as a verb, 'olerse' does not change for gender. It is conjugated for person and number to agree with the subject. For example: 'Yo me huelo' (I suspect), 'Ellos se huelen' (They suspect).
Is 'olerse' common in everyday Spanish?
Yes, 'olerse' is very common in everyday spoken Spanish across both Spain and Latin America to express intuition in a natural, colloquial way.
Does 'olerse' have slang or double meanings?
Its primary meaning is the figurative 'to suspect'. While not strictly slang, it is a common colloquialism. A literal meaning, such as smelling oneself, is grammatically possible but far less common in practice than its figurative sense.
Is 'olerse' used differently in Spain vs Latin America?
The figurative use of 'olerse' to mean 'to suspect' is widely understood and used similarly throughout the Spanish-speaking world, with no significant regional differences.
How do you conjugate 'olerse' in Spanish?
'Olerse' is a pronominal verb with an irregular 'o' to 'hue' stem change in the present tense (indicative and subjunctive) and imperative forms. For example, in the present indicative: me huelo, te hueles, se huele, nos olemos, os oléis, se huelen. Note that the 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms do not have the stem change.

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