duften

Duften is a German verb meaning to emit a pleasant scent or to smell agreeable. It emphasizes the presence of a fragrance rather than the mere act of smelling. In common usage it often describes food, flowers, perfumes, or other objects that give off an inviting aroma.

Usage and nuance: Duften is intransitive and typically reserved for positive odors. It is commonly found in descriptive prose or poetic contexts. For example, Kaffee, Kuchen, or Blumen kann man sagen, dass sie gut duften. In everyday speech, riechen is more frequently used for general or neutral odor descriptions, while duften highlights pleasantness and allure.

Historical and register notes: The verb derives from the noun Duft (fragrance). It appears in older and literary German and remains common in formal or evocative writing. In contemporary speech, speakers may choose riechen for neutral or negative odors, and duften for a favorable aroma.

Cross-linguistic context: The concept of a pleasant fragrance is universal, but the exact verb duften is idiomatic to German. Other Germanic languages use different terms for similar ideas, and learners should be mindful of nuances between duften (pleasant scent) and related verbs for general smell.

See also: Duft, Geruch, Duftstoff, Riechen, Aroma.