using sentir

Bob, 

the lesson covers this ambiguity : 

“ ATTENTION:

You use the same structure - sentir [quelque chose] - to express both to smell/feel/taste [something] AND to smell like/of [something].

 

Note that in the case of smell like/of, you always use definite articles le, la, l', les as the simile is general.

Since the structure is the same, it is only the context that makes the meaning clear: 

 

Tu sens la friture, c'est dégoûtant ! You smell of fried food, it's disgusting! ( general statement ) 

Tu sens la friture dans cette rue ? Do you smell the fried food on that street ? “ ( specific statement ) 

As is true in many cases in English as well, ambiguous meanings can be separated by further detail, if not already obvious in the context. 

If you were concerned that someone might think that you smelled of smoke, and misunderstand that you thought there was a fire somewhere causing you to smell smoke, you would express yourself differently.

You could change the phrasing - 

it is smoky  - ‘ c’est/il est enfumé ‘ or 

 it smells of smoke -  ‘ ça sent la fumée ‘, or

there is smoke  - ‘ il y a de la fumée ‘ etc

 or add further information as is done in the lesson example.

eg 

“ Je sens de la fumée.  ( I smell smoke ) Il doit y avoir un incendie quelque part. Je vais aller voir immédiatement! ‘