Question 1

Why does the sentence use two different verbs, annusa and sa, for 'smell'?

Accepted Answer

Italian uses distinct verbs for the action of smelling versus emitting a scent. Annusare means to actively sniff something, which is the action the man is performing. Sapere di means to have the smell or taste of something, which describes the state of the napkin.

Question 2

I thought sapere di meant 'to taste of'. Can it also mean 'to smell of'?

Accepted Answer

Yes! The phrase sapere di is used for both emitting a flavor and emitting an odor. Context tells you which one it is. Since he is physically sniffing (annusa) the napkin, sa di vaniglia naturally means it smells like vanilla, rather than tastes like it.

Question 3

Why is it just di vaniglia and not della vaniglia?

Accepted Answer

When sapere di is followed by an ingredient or material to describe a flavor or scent, we drop the definite article. The phrase di vaniglia acts as a descriptive essence, whereas della vaniglia would sound like it smells of a specific, physical batch of vanilla.

Question 4

Could I use sentire in this sentence instead of annusare?

Accepted Answer

You could say lui sente l'odore del tovagliolo (he perceives the smell of the napkin), but annusare is much more precise for the physical, intentional action of sniffing. Sentire is broader and usually implies passively noticing a scent in the air.

Lui annusa il tovagliolo, sa di vaniglia.

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