sens

/sɑ̃s or sɑ̃/sens / sentir
4.
verbInd3rdPresSing1, 2

feel (physically or emotionally); sense

smell (perceive an odor)

Je sens une odeur de brûlé et je sens que quelque chose cloche.

I smell something burning, and I feel that something is wrong.

Synonyms:ressentir, flairer
1.
nounmasculine

meaning; significance; sense (what something means)

Ce texte a plusieurs sens possibles.

This text has several possible meanings.

2.
nounmasculine

direction, way (orientation, especially of movement or traffic)

Il est à contre-sens sur l'autoroute !

He's going the wrong way on the highway!

3.
nounmasculine

the senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell)

Les cinq sens nous aident à percevoir le monde.

The five senses help us perceive the world.

Notes

GENERAL INFO

Sens is a masculine noun. It means "sense" (e.g., five senses, common sense), "meaning" (e.g., the meaning of a word), or "direction" (e.g., in this direction).

USAGE

You'll often see it for abstract concepts like "le sens de la vie" (the meaning of life) or "le sens de l'humour" (a sense of humor). For direction, use "dans quel sens?" (in which direction?) or "le bon sens" (the right direction).

TRAPS

Be careful not to confuse the noun sens with the present tense conjugations of the verb "sentir" (to feel/smell): "je sens," "tu sens," "il/elle/on sens." The final 's' in the noun sens is always silent, even in the plural.