Oler Conjugation in Spanish
oler means "to smell" in English, and it is one of the Spanish verbs you will use again and again in everyday conversation. It is used for talking about smelling — flowers, food, perfume and anything with a scent, which makes it a practical verb to learn early and to use confidently. This page gives you the complete conjugation of oler in every tense and mood — present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, the four perfect tenses, both subjunctive tenses and the imperative — with all six persons, plus the gerund and the past participle. Every form below comes from VerbFlow's verified conjugation tables, so you can trust the accents and the irregular forms. Oler is a stem-changing (o → ue) -er verb verb, and the notes under each tense explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To hear it in a real sentence: Yo huelo las flores en el jardín. — "I smell the flowers in the garden.". Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: oler
- English: to smell
- Verb type: Stem-changing (o → ue) -er verb
- Gerund: oliendo
- Past participle: olido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all compound tenses use haber + olido)
- Stem change: o → ue in the present, the present subjunctive and related forms (see the notes below).
Full conjugation table
Every tense of oler with all six persons. The gerund is oliendo and the past participle is olido.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | huelo |
| tú | hueles |
| él/ella/Ud. | huele |
| nosotros/as | olemos |
| vosotros/as | oléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | huelen |
Preterite (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | olí |
| tú | oliste |
| él/ella/Ud. | olió |
| nosotros/as | olimos |
| vosotros/as | olisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | olieron |
Imperfect (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | olía |
| tú | olías |
| él/ella/Ud. | olía |
| nosotros/as | olíamos |
| vosotros/as | olíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | olían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | oleré |
| tú | olerás |
| él/ella/Ud. | olerá |
| nosotros/as | oleremos |
| vosotros/as | oleréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | olerán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | olería |
| tú | olerías |
| él/ella/Ud. | olería |
| nosotros/as | oleríamos |
| vosotros/as | oleríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | olerían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he olido |
| tú | has olido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha olido |
| nosotros/as | hemos olido |
| vosotros/as | habéis olido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han olido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había olido |
| tú | habías olido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había olido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos olido |
| vosotros/as | habíais olido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían olido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré olido |
| tú | habrás olido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá olido |
| nosotros/as | habremos olido |
| vosotros/as | habréis olido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán olido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría olido |
| tú | habrías olido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría olido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos olido |
| vosotros/as | habríais olido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían olido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | huela |
| tú | huelas |
| él/ella/Ud. | huela |
| nosotros/as | olamos |
| vosotros/as | oláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | huelan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | oliera |
| tú | olieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | oliera |
| nosotros/as | oliéramos |
| vosotros/as | olierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | olieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | huele |
| él/ella/Ud. | huela |
| nosotros/as | olamos |
| vosotros/as | oled |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | huelan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | huelas |
| él/ella/Ud. | huela |
| nosotros/as | olamos |
| vosotros/as | oláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | huelan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Gerund | oliendo |
| Past participle | olido |
How to use each tense
Each tense below explains when to use it with oler, with one example sentence. The example forms are taken from the tables above.
Present indicative
The present tense talks about what happens now, habits, routines and general truths. It is the first tense every learner needs, because it covers daily life: what you do, what you like, where you live. For most verbs the present is also the base for the present subjunctive, so learning it well pays off twice.
oler is irregular in this tense, so memorise the forms in the table above instead of applying the regular endings.
Example: Yo huelo las flores.
Preterite (past)
The preterite talks about finished actions in the past — things that started and ended at a specific moment. Use it for events, for what happened yesterday, last year, or at a particular time. It answers the question "what happened?" and it is the tense of stories told as a sequence of events.
Stem change o → ue applies in this tense — the stem vowel changes in the forms shown above, while nosotros and vosotros usually keep the regular stem.
Example: Ayer yo olí las flores.
Imperfect (past)
The imperfect talks about the past as background: habits, repeated actions, descriptions, and things that were in progress when something else happened. Use it for "used to", for setting a scene, and for age, time and weather in the past. It answers "what was going on?" rather than "what happened?".
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: En aquella época, yo olía las flores.
Future
The future tense talks about what will happen: plans, predictions and promises. In everyday speech Spanish speakers often use "ir a + infinitive" instead, but the future tense is essential for formal writing, for promises, and for guessing about the present ("¿Dónde estará?").
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Mañana yo oleré las flores.
Conditional
The conditional talks about what would happen: hypothetical situations, polite requests, and advice. It pairs with the imperfect subjunctive in "if" sentences ("Si pudiera, lo haría"). It is also the polite way to ask for things and to soften opinions.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo olería las flores si pudiera.
Present perfect
The present perfect (haber + past participle) talks about the recent past and about experience: what you have done, what has just happened, what you have never tried. It connects the past to the present moment, so it often appears with "hoy", "esta semana", "ya" and "todavía no".
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo ya he olido las flores.
Pluperfect
The pluperfect (había + past participle) talks about the past before the past: what had already happened when something else happened. Use it to order two past events — the pluperfect one comes first in time. It appears constantly in stories and explanations.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo ya había olido las flores antes.
Future perfect
The future perfect (habré + past participle) talks about something that will already be finished by a future moment: "Para mañana ya habré terminado". It is also used to guess about the past: "¿Dónde habrá ido?". It is less common in speech but regular in writing.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Para mañana yo ya habré olido las flores.
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect (habría + past participle) talks about what would have happened: the past of the conditional. It appears in "if" sentences about a past that did not happen ("Si hubiera sabido, habría venido") and in polite regrets and reproaches.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo habría olido las flores si hubiera podido.
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is the mood of wishes, doubts, emotions and influence: what you want, hope, doubt or demand. It appears after "quiero que", "espero que", "es posible que", "ojalá" and after verbs of emotion and doubt. It never stands alone — a trigger in the main clause calls for it.
oler is irregular in this tense, so memorise the forms in the table above instead of applying the regular endings.
Example: Espero que él huela las flores.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
The imperfect subjunctive is the past of the subjunctive: it follows past-tense triggers ("Quería que vinieras") and it is the tense of "if" clauses about unlikely or impossible situations ("Si tuviera dinero, viajaría"). The -ra forms shown here are the standard ones; -se forms exist too but -ra is far more common in speech.
Stem change o → ue applies in this tense — the stem vowel changes in the forms shown above, while nosotros and vosotros usually keep the regular stem.
Example: Si él oliera las flores, sería perfecto.
Imperative (affirmative)
Affirmative commands tell someone to do something: "¡Ven aquí!", "¡Siéntate!". The tú and vosotros forms are the ones you will use most, and they are also the ones that break the regular pattern most often — the tú affirmative command comes from the él/ella present form, not from the infinitive.
oler is irregular in this tense, so memorise the forms in the table above instead of applying the regular endings.
Example: ¡Huele las flores!
Imperative (negative)
Negative commands tell someone not to do something: "¡No hables!", "¡No te vayas!". Unlike affirmative commands, negative commands always use the subjunctive forms, for every person. If you know the present subjunctive, you already know the negative imperative.
oler is irregular in this tense, so memorise the forms in the table above instead of applying the regular endings.
Example: No huelas las flores.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with oler, covering different tenses and persons. Read the Spanish first, then check the English.
- Yo huelo las flores en el jardín. — "I smell the flowers in the garden."
- ¿Tú hueles las flores? — "Do you smell the flowers?"
- Ayer olí las flores del mercado. — "Yesterday I smelled the flowers at the market."
- Ella olía las flores cada mañana. — "She used to smell the flowers every morning."
- Mañana oleré las flores del jardín. — "Tomorrow I will smell the flowers in the garden."
- Yo olería las flores si estuviera allí. — "I would smell the flowers if I were there."
- Ya he olido las flores hoy. — "I have already smelled the flowers today."
- Espero que huela las flores. — "I hope he smells the flowers."
Common mistakes
The errors learners actually make with oler — and how to fix them.
- Wrong: *Yo olo las flores. → Right: Yo huelo las flores.. Oler is stem-changing (o → ue) and adds an h: huelo, hueles, huele, huelen — never olo. The h is silent but it is written, because Spanish does not allow a word to start with ue.
- Wrong: *Ellos olen las flores — learners sometimes write olen without the change. → Right: Ellos huelen las flores.. The stem change applies to all forms except nosotros and vosotros: huelo, hueles, huele, huelen, but olemos and oléis keep the o.
- Wrong: *Espero que tú oles las flores. → Right: Espero que tú huelas las flores.. After espero que, use the subjunctive huelas, which keeps the hue- stem: huela, huelas, huela. The indicative hueles is wrong after espero que.
- Wrong: *Él olió las flores — learners often write olio without the accent. → Right: Él olió las flores.. The preterite third person is olió, with an accent on the o. The preterite also changes the stem in the third person: olió, olieron, with the gerund oliendo.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on oler. Answers are at the end, with a short explanation for each.
What is the yo form of oler in the present indicative?
- a) huele
- b) hueles
- c) huelo
- d) olemos
What is the él/ella/Ud. form of oler in the preterite (past)?
- a) olió
- b) olimos
- c) olí
- d) oliste
What is the nosotros/as form of oler in the imperfect (past)?
- a) olía
- b) olíamos
- c) olía
- d) olías
What is the tú form of oler in the future?
- a) olerás
- b) oleré
- c) oleremos
- d) olerá
What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of oler in the conditional?
- a) olerías
- b) olería
- c) olería
- d) olerían
What is the yo form of oler in the present subjunctive?
- a) huela
- b) huela
- c) huelas
- d) olamos
What is the gerund of oler?
- a) oliendo
- b) oler
- c) huele
- d) olido
What is the past participle of oler?
- a) olido
- b) he olido
- c) oliendo
- d) huelo
What does oler mean in English?
- a) to smell
- b) to get married
- c) to be born
- d) to smile
The form olí belongs to which tense?
- a) Future
- b) Preterite
- c) Imperfect
- d) Present
Answer key
- huelo — The yo form in the present indicative is huelo — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- olió — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite (past) is olió — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- olíamos — The nosotros/as form in the imperfect (past) is olíamos — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- olerás — The tú form in the future is olerás — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- olerían — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the conditional is olerían — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- huela — The yo form in the present subjunctive is huela — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- oliendo — The gerund is oliendo — it is the form used with estar for the progressive (estoy oliendo). The past participle is olido.
- olido — The past participle is olido — it is the form used after haber in the perfect tenses (he olido).
- to smell — oler means "to smell".
- Preterite — olí is the yo form of the preterite of oler — a finished past action. The imperfect yo form is olía.
Frequently asked questions
Is oler regular?
No. Oler is a stem-changing verb (o → ue) with an added h: huelo, hueles, huele, olemos, oléis, huelen. The h is silent — it is written only because Spanish words cannot begin with the diphthong ue. The preterite third person is olió, olieron, and the gerund is oliendo.
Why is it huelo and not uelo?
Spanish spelling does not allow a word to begin with ue, so an h is added: huelo, hueso (bone), huevo (egg). The h is silent; it is purely a spelling rule. The same rule gives us huela in the subjunctive.
What is the difference between oler and oler a?
Oler takes a direct object for the thing smelled (huelo las flores). Oler a + noun describes what something smells like: Huele a rosas (It smells of roses), Huele a quemado (It smells burnt).
What is the past participle of oler?
Olido. The present perfect is he olido, has olido, ha olido — for example: Nunca he olido unas flores tan bonitas. Unlike the present, the participle is regular.
Related pages
- Oler in the preterite tense — the preterite tense of oler in depth, with its own examples and quiz.
- Oler examples and quiz — more everyday sentences with oler and a second quiz.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub: every verb, every tense guide and every tool in one place.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where oler sits among the irregular verbs, grouped by pattern.
- Probar conjugation — another verb in the same family as oler.
- Sentir conjugation — another verb in the same family as oler.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise oler with this tool.
- Stem Change Finder — practise oler with this tool.
- Present tense guide — how the present tense works for regular and irregular verbs.