der Geruch
smell
The perception taken in through the nose from scents in the air; a fragrance or stench.
EXAMPLE
Ich liebe den Geruch von frisch gemähtem Gras im Sommer.
I love the smell of freshly cut grass in summer.
der Geruch
smell
der Geruch, die Gerüche
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Meanings
im Geruch stehen
to be suspected
In a figurative sense, the reputation or suspicion of having a certain, often negative, quality or of having done something.
EXAMPLE
Das Unternehmen steht im Geruch, seine Mitarbeiter schlecht zu bezahlen.
The company is suspected of paying its employees poorly.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Geruch, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Gerüche |
| genitive | des Geruchs |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Geruch | die Gerüche |
| accusative | den Geruch | die Gerüche |
| dative | dem Geruch | den Gerüchen |
| genitive | des Geruchs des Geruches | der Gerüche |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word family
'Der Geruch' (the smell) is the noun derived from the verb 'riechen' (to smell). This connection helps you understand the meaning: 'riechen' is the action, and 'der Geruch' is what one perceives.
EXAMPLE
Ich rieche einen seltsamen Geruch in der Küche.
I smell a strange odor in the kitchen.
Neutral meaning
'Geruch' (smell) itself is neutral. Whether the smell is good or bad is determined by an adjective, e.g. 'ein guter/angenehmer Geruch' (a good/pleasant smell) or 'ein schlechter/unangenehmer Geruch' (a bad/unpleasant smell).
EXAMPLE
Der angenehme Geruch von Lavendel beruhigt mich.
The pleasant smell of lavender calms me.
Aus dem Mülleimer kam ein übler Geruch.
A foul smell came from the trash can.
Preposition 'von'
To describe what something smells like, German uses the preposition 'von' followed by the dative. The structure is: 'der Geruch von etwas' (the smell of something).
EXAMPLE
Ich mag den Geruch von frisch gebackenem Brot.
I like the smell of freshly baked bread.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'im Geruch stehen, etwas zu tun' means that someone has a bad reputation or is suspected of having done something negative. The expression always has a negative connotation.
EXAMPLE
Der Politiker steht im Geruch der Korruption.
The politician is suspected of corruption.
Compare with
Geruch vs Ruf
reputation / call
Both words can express that someone is publicly associated with a particular quality. “Der Ruf” is a general evaluation and can be positive or negative, whereas “im Geruch stehen” is usually used in a set expression to express a negative assumption or suspicion. Use the expression when there is such a suspicion.
Geruch
Der Politiker steht im Geruch, seine Versprechen nicht einzuhalten.
The politician is suspected of not keeping his promises.
Ruf
Die Ärztin hat in der Stadt einen guten Ruf als sorgfältige Fachfrau.
The doctor has a good reputation in the city as a careful professional.
In real life
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