Learning how to express what you perceive through your five senses is one of the most practical skills you can develop in English. When you combine specific sense verbs with the word like, you gain the ability to describe similarities and share everyday experiences in a natural, conversational way.
What are the five senses in English?
Your body gives you five ways to experience the world around you, and each one connects to a specific sense verb [0:25]:
- Sight — what you perceive with your eyes.
- Hearing — what you perceive with your ears.
- Smell — what you perceive with your nose.
- Taste — what you perceive with your mouth.
- Touch — what you perceive with your entire body.
These senses are the foundation for a powerful structure in English: sense verb + like. This combination lets you compare what you are perceiving to something familiar, making your descriptions vivid and easy to understand.
How do you use sense verbs with like?
Each sense has a corresponding verb. When paired with like, these verbs express similarity — the idea that something reminds you of something else [0:55]:
- Look like (sight): You look like your dad. — You appear very similar to your father.
- Sound like (hearing): He sounds like his brother. — The tone of his voice is very similar to his brother's.
- Smell like (smell): It smells like coffee. — You can perceive that familiar aroma even without seeing the source.
- Feel like (touch): It feels like cotton. — The texture reminds you of cotton when you touch it.
- Taste like (taste): It tastes like chicken. — The flavor is comparable to chicken.
Notice how the sense verbs in bold — look, sound, smell, feel, taste — always appear together with like when you want to describe what your senses tell you.
Can you use this structure to describe what is around you?
Absolutely. Imagine you see a picture or a shape you cannot quite identify. You could say: It looks like a house [1:50]. You are using your sight to make a comparison. Or picture yourself walking into a cafeteria and saying: It smells like coffee [2:05]. You haven't seen any coffee, but your nose is giving you that information.
This is what makes sense verbs so useful: you don't need to be certain about something to describe it. You simply share what your senses suggest.
How can you practice your five senses right now?
Here is a simple exercise you can try wherever you are [2:15]:
- Close your eyes and take a deep breath.
- Ask yourself: What can I smell? Describe it using smells like.
- Listen carefully: What can I hear? Use sounds like to express it.
- Touch something near you: What does it feel like? Use feels like to compare it to a familiar texture.
The key is to always pair the sense verb with like when you want to express similarity. This structure is simple yet incredibly effective for everyday communication.
Try the exercise now and share your sentences — what does your world look, sound, smell, feel, and taste like today?
