der Geruchssinn
sense of smell
The ability of a person or animal to perceive and distinguish smells.
EXAMPLE
Durch eine Erkältung war sein Geruchssinn vorübergehend beeinträchtigt.
His sense of smell was temporarily impaired by a cold.
der Geruchssinn
sense of smell
der Geruchssinn, die Geruchssinne
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Geruchssinn, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Geruchssinne |
| genitive | des Geruchssinnes |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Geruchssinn | die Geruchssinne |
| accusative | den Geruchssinn | die Geruchssinne |
| dative | dem Geruchssinn | den Geruchssinnen |
| genitive | des Geruchssinnes des Geruchssinns | der Geruchssinne |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word composition
'Geruchssinn' (sense of smell) is made up of 'Geruch' (smell) and 'Sinn' (sense). The base word 'Sinn' here refers to an ability to perceive something; 'Geruch' limits this ability to scents and smells.
EXAMPLE
Bei manchen Tieren ist der Geruchssinn besonders stark entwickelt.
Some animals have a particularly well-developed sense of smell.
Typical collocations
Common collocations include 'einen guten Geruchssinn haben' (to have a good sense of smell), 'den Geruchssinn verlieren' (to lose one's sense of smell), and 'den Geruchssinn trainieren' (to train one's sense of smell). 'Den Geruchssinn' often functions as the accusative object after a verb.
EXAMPLE
Hunde haben einen sehr guten Geruchssinn.
Dogs have a very good sense of smell.
Nach der Behandlung gewann sie ihren Geruchssinn langsam zurück.
After the treatment, she slowly regained her sense of smell.
Describing perception
'Geruchssinn' is often used to describe how well someone recognizes or distinguishes smells. Typical adjectives are 'fein' (keen), 'ausgeprägt' (well-developed), 'schwach' (weak), and 'beeinträchtigt' (impaired).
EXAMPLE
Sein ausgeprägter Geruchssinn hilft ihm bei der Arbeit als Koch.
His keen sense of smell helps him in his work as a chef.
In real life
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