Learn Hardcore Italian: L’odore delle patate fritte riempie la cucina. - The smell of the fried potatoes fills the kitchen.

Italian uses elision when a definite article ending in a vowel meets a noun starting with a vowel. Here, lo + odore becomes l’odore: the o of lo is dropped and replaced by an apostrophe to avoid two vowels in a row.

What does delle mean, and how is it formed?

delle is the contraction of di + le. It can function as:

a partitive article meaning “some” (e.g. delle patate = some potatoes)
a genitive/possessive meaning “of the” (e.g. l’odore delle patate = the smell of the potatoes)

In this sentence it shows possession: the smell of the fried potatoes.

Why is the adjective fritte in the feminine plural form, and why does it come after patate?

patate is feminine plural, so the adjective must agree: fritto → fritte (past participle of friggere, used adjectivally).
In Italian most descriptive adjectives follow the noun. Hence patate fritte = “fried potatoes.”

What is the subject of the sentence, and why is riempie in the third-person singular?

The subject is L’odore (singular). The verb riempire is conjugated in the present indicative, third-person singular to agree with that subject:

io riempio
tu riempi
lui/lei riempie

So L’odore riempie... = “The smell fills...”

Why isn’t there a preposition before la cucina?

riempire is a transitive verb in Italian, so it takes a direct object without any preposition. Here, la cucina is the object being filled. In English you might say “fills the kitchen,” and in Italian it’s identical in structure: riempie la cucina.

Could you rephrase this sentence using a reflexive construction or a different structure?

Yes. Two common alternatives:
1) Reflexive form:
La cucina si riempie dell’odore di patate fritte.
(Literally: “The kitchen fills itself with the smell of fried potatoes.”)
2) Using essere pieno:
La cucina è piena dell’odore delle patate fritte.
(“The kitchen is full of the smell of fried potatoes.”)

What’s the difference between odore and profumo, and why is odore used here?

odore = smell, neutral term (can be pleasant or unpleasant).
profumo = perfume, implies a pleasant fragrance.
Since the sentence describes an everyday kitchen scenario—neutral or warmly inviting smell of fries—odore is more natural than profumo.

Could you say L’odore di patate fritte instead of L’odore delle patate fritte?

Yes, but with a subtle nuance:

di patate fritte (no article) is more generic: “the smell of fried potatoes” in general.
delle patate fritte (with article) pinpoints a specific batch: “the smell of the fried potatoes [that are here/right now].”
Both are correct; choose based on whether you mean generic or particular.