Exploring the Five Senses in Spanish

Our senses play a crucial role in our daily experiences, allowing us to perceive the world around us in multifaceted ways. From observing a breathtaking landscape to savoring the flavors of our favorite foods, each sense connects us differently with our environment, so knowing how to talk about the five senses in Spanish will give you the tools to better describe such sensations and stimuli.

With this in mind, today we bring you a complete vocabulary guide with all the vocab you need to know for talking about the five senses in Spanish!

Los sentidos – The Senses

The word for senses in Spanish is los sentidos. Although some may say that there are plenty of different senses, the general consensus is that humans just have 5 sentidos: sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing.

We’ll spend the rest of this post explaining each of these five senses in Spanish. We’ll include relevant related vocabulary, like the relevant body parts, verbs, and adjectives used to describe the stimuli perceived by each of them.

So without further ado, let’s get started with each of the 5 senses in Spanish!

La vista – Sight

In Spanish, the sense of sight is encapsulated by the feminine word vista. This sense allows us to perceive the world through our eyes, or los ojos in Spanish, taking in the beauty and wonders that surround us. With la vista, we can perceive colors, shapes, and physical characteristics.

Let’s see the key verbs related to the sense of sight in Spanish.

Spanish	English
Ver	To see
Mirar	To look
Observar	To watch

El olfato – Smell

The sense of smell in Spanish is known as el olfato in Spanish, and is intimately connected with the nose, or la nariz in Spanish.

Here are the main verbs we use for talking about the sense of smell in Spanish.

Spanish	English
Oler	To smell
Olfatear	To sniff
Husmear	To sniff

Now let’s see some of the most useful adjectives used to describe smells in Spanish.

Spanish	English
Aromático/a	Aromatic
Agradable	Pleasant
Dulce	Sweet
Floral	Floral
Apestoso/a	Stinky
Asqueroso/a	Disgusting
Desagradable	Unpleasant
Maloliente	Smelly
Rancio/a	Rancid, Stale

While we’re talking about smelling in Spanish, you may also be interested in learning common flower names in Spanish.

El tacto – Touch

The sense of touch in Spanish is represented by the masculine noun tacto in Spanish. We feel touch through la piel, which is skin in Spanish, and often by las manos, which are hands, and los dedos, which are fingers.

Let’s take a look at some verbs related with the sense of touch in Spanish.

Spanish	English
Tocar	To touch
Rozar	To brush, To stroke
Acariciar	To caress
Palpar	To feel

When describing textures or surfaces sensed by touch in Spanish, here are some of the most common adjectives.

Spanish	English
Áspero/a	Rough
Duro/a	Hard
Suave	Smooth
Pegajoso/a	Sticky
Frío/a	Cold
Caliente	Hot
Tibio/a	Warm

El gusto – Taste

El gusto embodies the sense of taste in Spanish. The tongue in Spanish is la lengua, while the sense of taste is perceived through the tongue’s taste buds or las papilas gustativas in Spanish. This sense helps us perceive flavors or sabores in Spanish.

These are some verbs commonly used when talking about taste in Spanish.

Spanish	English
Comer	To eat
Beber	To drink
Degustar	To taste
Probar	To try
Saborear	To savor
Lamer	To lick

Now let’s take a look at some adjectives used to describe flavors.

Spanish	English
Delicioso/a	Delicious
Dulce	Sweet
Salado/a	Salty
Agrio/a	Sour
Amargo/a	Bitter
Picante	Spicy

Since the sense of taste is intimately linked to eating and drinking, we can also recommend our other related posts on foods in Spanish, Spanish kitchen vocab, ordering food in Spanish, ordering coffee in Spanish, beer in Spanish, typical Hispanic dishes, and Spanish table etiquette.

El oído – Hearing

The sense of hearing is referred to as el oído in Spanish. Keep in mind that the general word oído in Spanish can be translated as ear, inner ear, and the sense of hearing. The basic word for the ear in Spanish is la oreja.

These are the verbs most commonly associated with our hearing sense in Spanish.

Spanish	English
Oír	To hear
Escuchar	To listen
Hablar	To speak, To talk
Gritar	To scream
Exclamar	To cry out
Pronunciar	To utter
Recitar	To recite
Articular	To articulate

Let’s take a look at some adjectives used to describe sounds in Spanish.

Spanish	English
Agudo/a	Sharp
Bajo/a	Low
Fuerte, Alto/a	Loud
Ruidoso/a	Noisy
Relajante	Relaxing
Melodioso/a	Melodious

Related to the sense of hearing, you may also be interested in our posts on music terms in Spanish and on how to say shut up in Spanish.

Conclusion: Senses in Spanish

Great! Now that we’ve completed our lesson on the senses in Spanish, you’re ready to talk about all the things you can see, smell, touch, taste, and hear in Spanish.

Today we learned the names of the five senses in Spanish: la vista, el olfato, el tacto, el gusto, and el oído. For this overview of the five senses in Spanish, we included the body parts related to each sense, relevant adjectives, as well as common verbs.

By understanding and using this vocabulary, you’re now better equipped to express how you interact with the environment around you!