French Phrase
Évite les aliments qui sentent fort.
Meaning
A piece of advice meaning ‘Avoid foods that have a strong smell.’ It can refer to foods that are overly pungent, heavily spiced, or simply have a powerful odor that some people find off‑putting.
When to use
Use this sentence when giving health or dietary advice, when warning a friend about strong‑smelling dishes, or when discussing personal food preferences in a casual conversation.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Évitelesalimentsquisententfort
Imperative (Évite)
Évite is the second‑person singular imperative of éviter, used to give a direct command or advice.
Definite article (les)
Les is the plural definite article, matching the plural noun aliments.
Relative pronoun (qui)
Qui introduces a relative clause and refers back to the noun aliments.
Present indicative (sentent)
Sentent is the third‑person plural present of sentir, agreeing with the plural subject aliments.
Adverb (fort)
Fort is an adverb meaning ‘strongly’; it modifies the verb sentent.
🗨In Conversation
Évite les aliments qui sentent fort.
Avoid foods that smell strong.
D'accord, je vais choisir des plats plus légers.
Okay, I’ll pick lighter dishes.
✕Common Mistakes
Évite les aliments qui sent fort.
Sent is the third‑person singular form; the subject aliments is plural, so the verb must be sentent.
Évite les aliments qui sentent forte.
Forte is the feminine adjective; here we need the adverb fort, which does not change with gender.
Évite les aliments qui sentent fortes.
The adjective ‘fortes’ would be used only if it described a noun directly; the adverb ‘fort’ stays unchanged.
↔Alternatives
Éloigne-toi des plats à l'odeur puissante.
Stay away from dishes with a powerful odor.
Ne consomme pas les aliments très odorants.
Don’t eat very odorous foods.
Évite les mets qui ont une forte odeur.
Avoid dishes that have a strong smell.
Cultural Tip
In French cuisine, strong‑smelling foods such as certain cheeses (e.g., roquefort), fermented fish (like anchois), or heavily spiced dishes are celebrated, but they can be off‑putting for some. The imperative can sound blunt, so in polite conversation you might soften it with « s’il te plaît » or phrase it as a suggestion: « Il vaut mieux éviter les aliments qui sentent fort. »