riechen

The German word "riechen" is a verb meaning "to smell". It refers to the action of perceiving odors through the nose.

It is a base verb on its own and is not a compound or composed of smaller meaningful parts.

Similar words include:

• "duften" – to emit a pleasant smell
• "stinken" – to stink or smell bad
• "wahrnehmen" (im Geruchssinn) – to perceive (by smell)

Differences:

• "riechen" is neutral and simply means to detect a smell.
• "duften" implies a pleasant or sweet smell.
• "stinken" denotes an unpleasant odor.
• "wahrnehmen" is more general and can apply to any sensory perception, not just smell.