Parfumo

Parfumo is the Esperanto term for perfume, a fragrant substance used to impart a pleasant aroma to the body, clothing, or surrounding space. In Esperanto, parfumo denotes a manufactured or blended fragrance, usually prepared for personal wear or for scenting objects. The word is a direct borrowing from the French parfum, adapted to Esperanto phonology and morphology. The root parfum- combines with the nominal ending -o to form parfumo. The related adjective is parfuma, meaning fragrant or perfumed. The plural form is parfumoj.

In usage, parfumo covers a broad range of scented products, including traditional perfumes, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, colognes, scented oils, and perfumed cosmetics whenever these are intended to impart fragrance. In Esperanto texts, speakers distinguish parfumo as a product category from odoro, the broader term for any odor or scent, pleasant or not. Thus, parfumo implies a deliberate, crafted fragrance.

Historically, the vocabulary of Esperanto borrows many terms for cosmetics and daily life from multilingual sources; parfumo is one of the standard terms used to discuss fragrance in consumer contexts and in cultural discussions about perfumery. While brand names and specific product types are often borrowed directly from donor languages, the Esperanto term provides a neutral, widely understood label for perfumery vocabulary.