Odeur or parfum? Smells, scents and perfume in French
Describe coffee, flowers and perfume in French. Compare une odeur and un parfum, explore four picture cards and test the meanings in context.
In short
Une odeur is a smell, pleasant or unpleasant. Un parfum is a scent or fragrance, and also perfume you wear; in an ice-cream shop, it can mean flavour.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
A smell, a scent or something you wear?
une odeura smell
Focus: what reaches your nose
une odeur de + source
Une bonne odeur de café vient de la cuisine.
A lovely smell of coffee comes from the kitchen.
Il y a une odeur de fumée dans le couloir.
There is a smell of smoke in the corridor.
un parfuma scent; perfume
Focus: a fragrance in the air or a product
le parfum des fleurs / mettre du parfum
J’aime le parfum des roses.
I like the scent of roses.
Elle met du parfum avant de sortir.
She puts on perfume before going out.
Odeur is feminine: cette odeur est agréable. Parfum is masculine: ce parfum est léger. Flowers can have both une odeur agréable and un parfum agréable: the second wording draws attention to their fragrance.
Name the source, then read the sentence
Find:
What is the difference between odeur and parfum?
- Vendeuse
Vous cherchez un parfum pour vous ?
Are you looking for a perfume for yourself?
- Client
C’est pour ma sœur. Elle aime les parfums légers.
It’s for my sister. She likes light fragrances.
- Vendeuse
Et celui-ci ?
And this one?
- Client
Je le trouve trop fort. Je préfère l’autre.
I find it too strong. I prefer the other one.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| une odeur forte | a strong smell |
| une odeur désagréable | an unpleasant smell |
| un parfum léger | a light fragrance |
| un parfum trop fort | a fragrance that is too strong |
At the ice-cream counter, Quel parfum voulez-vous ? means “Which flavour would you like?” Answer vanille, chocolat or fraise. The shop setting changes the meaning of parfum.