When using “闻起来” at a B2 level, you're moving beyond simple recognition to describing and expressing more complex olfactory experiences.
For instance, you might say something “闻起来很香” (wén qǐlái hěn xiāng – smells very fragrant) to describe food or flowers, or “闻起来有点奇怪” (wén qǐlái yǒudiǎn qíguài – smells a little strange) if you're uncertain about a scent.
You can also use it to express an opinion about how something smells, such as “我喜欢咖啡闻起来的味道” (wǒ xǐhuān kāfēi wén qǐlái de wèidào – I like the smell of coffee).
At this level, you can also differentiate between good and bad smells more naturally. For example, you could say “这朵花闻起来真好闻” (zhè duǒ huā wén qǐlái zhēn hǎowén – This flower smells really good) versus “垃圾闻起来真难闻” (lājī wén qǐlái zhēn nánwén – The trash smells really bad).
When we talk about how something smells, like a delicious meal or a fragrant flower, we can use 闻起来 (wén qǐ lái). It literally means 'smell up' or 'smell out', but in common use, it describes the scent something gives off.
For example, if you say “这汤闻起来真香！” (Zhè tāng wén qǐ lái zhēn xiāng!), you're saying “This soup smells really fragrant!” or “This soup smells so good!”
It can also be used to describe an unpleasant smell, like “这垃圾闻起来很臭” (Zhè lājī wén qǐ lái hěn chòu), meaning “This garbage smells really stinky.”
The structure is quite simple: [Subject] + 闻起来 + [Adjective describing the smell].
闻起来 in 30 Sekunden
- Use 闻起来 to talk about how something smells.
- It can mean 'to smell like' or 'to smell (something)'.
- It's a useful verb for describing sensory experiences.
Alright, let's tackle some common pitfalls when using 闻起来 (wén qǐlái). This word means 'to smell like' or 'to smell' and while it seems straightforward, learners often get tripped up. Pay attention to these points, and you'll sound much more natural.
§ Mistake 1: Confusing 闻起来 with 闻 (wén)
This is a big one. 闻 (wén) on its own means 'to smell' in the sense of actively sniffing something. 闻起来 (wén qǐlái) describes how something smells to you, its characteristic scent. Think of it as 'smells like X' or 'has a smell of X'.
- Wrong
- 我闻那朵花。 (Wǒ wén nà duǒ huā.) - This implies you are actively sniffing the flower.
- Correct
- 那朵花闻起来很香。 (Nà duǒ huā wén qǐlái hěn xiāng.) - That flower smells very fragrant.
我闻了一下，它闻起来像柠檬。 (Wǒ wén le yī xià, tā wén qǐlái xiàng níngméng.) - I smelled it a bit, and it smells like lemon.
§ Mistake 2: Incorrect placement of adjectives/adverbs
When describing how something smells, the adjective or adverb comes directly after 闻起来. Don't insert other words or change the order.
- Wrong
- 这咖啡闻起来很浓地。 (Zhè kāfēi wén qǐlái hěn nóng de.) - The '地' particle is unnecessary here and makes it sound awkward.
- Correct
- 这咖啡闻起来很浓。 (Zhè kāfēi wén qǐlái hěn nóng.) - This coffee smells very strong.
那个房间闻起来有点奇怪。 (Nàgè fángjiān wén qǐlái yǒu diǎn qíguài.) - That room smells a bit strange.
§ Mistake 3: Overusing 它 (tā) or other pronouns as the subject
In Chinese, if the subject is clear from context, you often don't need to repeat it. While not strictly 'wrong,' it can sound redundant if you keep saying '它闻起来...' when referring to something just mentioned.
- Less natural
- 这蛋糕很好看，它闻起来也很甜。 (Zhè dànggāo hěn hǎokàn, tā wén qǐlái yě hěn tián.) - This cake looks good, it also smells sweet.
- More natural
- 这蛋糕很好看，闻起来也很甜。 (Zhè dànggāo hěn hǎokàn, wén qǐlái yě hěn tián.) - This cake looks good, and smells sweet too.
这是什么花？闻起来真香。 (Zhè shì shénme huā? Wén qǐlái zhēn xiāng.) - What flower is this? It smells so fragrant.
§ Mistake 4: Not using specific adjectives
Just like in English, saying something 'smells good' or 'smells bad' is okay, but using more descriptive adjectives makes your Chinese richer. Instead of always defaulting to 好闻 (hǎowén - smells good) or 难闻 (nánwén - smells bad), try to be more precise.
- 香 (xiāng) - fragrant, aromatic
- 臭 (chòu) - stinky, foul-smelling
- 酸 (suān) - sour (smell)
- 甜 (tián) - sweet (smell)
- 新鲜 (xīnxiān) - fresh (smell)
- 烧焦 (shāojiāo) - burnt (smell)
- Less descriptive
- 这汤闻起来很好闻。 (Zhè tāng wén qǐlái hěn hǎowén.) - This soup smells good.
- More descriptive
- 这汤闻起来很香。 (Zhè tāng wén qǐlái hěn xiāng.) - This soup smells fragrant.
房间里闻起来有烧焦的味道。 (Fángjiān lǐ wén qǐlái yǒu shāojiāo de wèidào.) - The room smells like something burnt.
By avoiding these common mistakes, you'll use 闻起来 (wén qǐlái) more accurately and confidently. Keep practicing, and your Chinese will start to smell... I mean, sound... much better!
Beispiele nach Niveau
这朵花闻起来很香。
This flower smells very fragrant.
那个房间闻起来有点奇怪。
That room smells a bit strange.
你闻起来像烤面包。
You smell like baked bread.
饭菜闻起来很美味。
The food smells delicious.
这件衣服闻起来像烟味。
These clothes smell like smoke.
我闻到咖啡的香味了。
I smell the aroma of coffee.
这个香水闻起来很不错。
This perfume smells very good.
你闻起来很干净。
You smell very clean.
Teste dich selbst 18 Fragen
Choose the correct translation: 'This flower smells good.'
To 'smell good', you use 闻起来 (wén qǐlái).
Which sentence means 'The food smells delicious'?
很好吃 (hěn hǎochī) means 'delicious'. When combined with 闻起来, it means 'smells delicious'.
If something smells bad, you would say it 闻起来...
不好 (bù hǎo) means 'not good' or 'bad'. So 闻起来不好 means 'smells bad'.
The sentence '这件衣服闻起来很干净' means 'These clothes smell very clean.'
很干净 (hěn gānjìng) means 'very clean'. The sentence correctly uses 闻起来 to indicate the smell.
'这个咖啡闻起来很香' means 'This coffee smells terrible.'
很香 (hěn xiāng) means 'very fragrant' or 'smells good'. So the sentence means 'This coffee smells good.'
You can use 闻起来 to describe how something looks.
闻起来 (wén qǐlái) is used for describing smells, not appearances. 看起来 (kàn qǐlái) is used for appearances.
The correct order is '这朵花闻起来很香。' which means 'This flower smells very fragrant.'
The correct order is '咖啡总是闻起来好极了。' which means 'Coffee always smells wonderful.'
The correct order is '她的衣服闻起来很干净。' which means 'Her clothes smell very clean.'
She smells fragrant, what perfume did she use?
This room smells musty, does it need cleaning?
I smell something burning, did the cake in the oven burn?
Read this aloud:
闻起来真好吃！你做了什么？
Focus: 闻起来 (wén qǐ lái)
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
这朵花闻起来很甜。
Focus: 闻起来 (wén qǐ lái)
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
你闻到什么了吗？
Focus: 闻到 (wén dào)
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
/ 18 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
闻起来 is a versatile verb used to describe both the act of smelling and the characteristic smell of something.
- Use 闻起来 to talk about how something smells.
- It can mean 'to smell like' or 'to smell (something)'.
- It's a useful verb for describing sensory experiences.
Beispiel
这花闻起来很香。
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