# Hindi: गंध / smell



## Maharaj

Hello,

What's the word for गंध in English? 
Mind you गंध is neutral.

So if I want to say खाने की गंध आ रही है how will I do that?


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## Qureshpor

I believe गंध (smell/odour) is a feminine noun, as you have used in your sentence.

खाने की गंध आ रही है

One can smell the food.

If you wish to add the recipient of the odour, for example "I", then the sentence would be:

मुझे खाने की गंध आ रही है

I can smell the food.


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## rituparnahoymoy

Maharaj said:


> Hello,
> 
> What's the word for गंध in English?
> Mind you गंध is neutral.
> 
> So if I want to say खाने की गंध आ रही है how will I do that?



Sugandh = Good smell.

Durgandh = Bad smell.

Gandh =Smell.

Smell is coming from the food. If good then it's called "aroma".


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## Maharaj

To be very specific...I want to say my room smells of food because my roommate just had his meal. I'm not enjoying it and feeling suffocative. So I said "Room se khane ki smell aa rahi hai" anything wrong with it?


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## amiramir

I wouldn't think there's anything wrong with the above. How about using a variant of boo, which would be the most common word in my parents' variety of Hindi:  kamare se khaane ki (bad)boo aa rahi hai?


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## Maharaj

boo/gandh is perfect. But I used that specific sentence having the word 'smell' he objected to it. I am like when I'm not enjoying it I can't call it fragrance/aroma.
Question remains whether 'smell' when used as noun means bad smell / odour?


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## dec-sev

amiramir said:


> kamare *se* khaane ki (bad)boo aa rahi hai?


 से means _from_. I thought that the original idea was that the smell came _into _the room.


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## Qureshpor

Maharaj said:


> boo/gandh is perfect. But I used that specific sentence having the word 'smell' he objected to it. I am like when I'm not enjoying it I can't call it fragrance/aroma.
> Question remains whether 'smell' when used as noun means bad smell / odour?


I would say that although both गंध and बू  mean the neutral "smell" but without any additional prefixes, these words do incline somewhat towards a bad smell.


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## marrish

Maharaj said:


> Room se khane ki smell aa rahi hai





amiramir said:


> kamare se khaane ki (bad)boo aa rahi hai?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> dec-sev said:
> 
> 
> 
> से means _from_. I thought that the original idea was that the smell came _into _the room.
Click to expand...

बू =(bad) smell, कमरा=room. बदबू आ रही है =smell is coming=there's smell=it smells. The verb is बू आना _buu aanaa _which requires से _se _(and _se_ has many usages and meanings on its own:

कमरे से (बद-)बू आ रही है 'The room smells bad'.
कमरे से (ख़ुश-)बू आ रही है 'The room smells good'.

+ positive ± neutral - negative

कमरे से खाने की (बद-)बू आ रही है _kamre se khaane kii (bad-) buu aa rahii hai_ = 'the room smells of food'. The +±- scent, ±-smell/ ±--odour/--stench of food has permeated the room in a manner that when one is inside, it can be felt.

कमरे से अगरबत्ती की महक (±) आ रही है _kamre se (agar-)battii kii ±mahak (mèhèk) aa rahii hai. The room smells of incense.
_
Other ways, like कमरे में खाने की बू फैली हुई है _kamre meN khaane kii buu phailii hu'ii hai,_ बू ही बू है _buu hii buu hai_, etc., may be used but they are a description of a state.

Also महक, it can mean a +++fragrance, aroma ++pleasant smell, ± smell,  हीक _hiik,_ बास _baas_ or हींक _hiiNk_, बाँस _baaNs_ 'upsetting smell of food, stench' can be used. Which of these do you prefer, @Maharaj?


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## aevynn

If I'm understanding correctly... I think the crux of the question OP is asking is if the English word "smell," without any further qualifications, is truly neutral, or if it refers specifically to a good smell or a bad smell. 

And I think the answer is that, while it is technically neutral and can be used for any kind of smell, if there isn't any qualification, I'd _probably_ interpret it as refering to a bad smell. This is fairly similar to the Hindi-Urdu _buu_ (technically neutral, but if there wasn't any further qualification, I'd probably interpret it negatively, as @Qureshpor has already pointed out). 

"Odor" is similar, but it sounds a bit more technical word than "smell" (to me, at least), so I'm a bit more likely to interpret it neutrally if there isn't any qualification. And again, this is fairly similar to the Hindi-Urdu _gandh_: to me, this sounds a bit more technical than _buu_, and so I'm again a bit more likely to interpret it neutrally in absence of any qualifications.


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## dec-sev

marrish said:


> कमरे से खाने की (बद-)बू आ रही है _kamre se khaane kii (bad-) buu aa rahii hai_ = 'the room smells of food'. The +±- scent, ±-smell/ ±--odour/--stench of food has permeated the room in a manner that when one is inside, it can be felt.


 But how would you say "A bad smell is coming *from *the room"? (You're standing outside the room)


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## Qureshpor

कमरे से बदबू आ रही है.


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## dec-sev

marrish said:


> The verb is बू आना _buu aanaa _which requires से _se _(and _se_ has many usages and meanings on its own:
> 
> कमरे से (बद-)बू आ रही है 'The room smells bad'.





Qureshpor said:


> कमरे से बदबू आ रही है.


 Does it mean that the sentence can mean both "'The room smells bad' and "A bad smell is coming from the room"?


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## littlepond

Well, you could also say "kamre meN se badbuu aa rahii hai": though still the speaker could be anywhere, inside and outside of the room.

"smell" in Indian English especially means "bad smell".


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## desi4life

Maharaj said:


> To be very specific...I want to say my room smells of food because my roommate just had his meal. I'm not enjoying it and feeling suffocative. So I said "Room se khane ki smell aa rahi hai" anything wrong with it?





Maharaj said:


> boo/gandh is perfect. But I used that specific sentence having the word 'smell' he objected to it. I am like when I'm not enjoying it I can't call it fragrance/aroma.
> Question remains whether 'smell' when used as noun means bad smell / odour?



Although I agree with @aevynn that smell can be interpreted as a bad smell, I personally don't think there is anything wrong with using smell in the context that you used it. I would interpret it as a neutral smell. Same with गंध (gandh) and बू (buu). I would also interpret "The room smells like food" as neutral in US English. However, in Indian English the situation might be different as @littlepond mentioned above, which could explain your roommate's objections. In addition, your mannerisms and facial expressions while saying it could affect your roommate's perceptions.


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## Maharaj

Thank you everybody


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