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How to say 'Smell' in Japanese | 匂い

Wondering how to say 'Smell' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Smell is 'Nioi', written as 匂い in Japanese.'Smell' in hiragana is におい.

    word

    匂い

    Meaning

    Smell

    Reading

    におい

    nioi

    Kanji

    Fragrance, Scent

    Explanation

    The Japanese noun '匂い (におい)' refers to a 'smell' or 'scent'. It can describe both pleasant and unpleasant odors, depending on the context. This word is commonly used in everyday conversation to talk about the scent of food, flowers, or even people. For example: The smell of flowers is nice「花の匂いがいい」(はなのにおいがいい). There's a strange smell in this room「この部屋は変な匂いがする」(このへやはへんなにおいがする). The nuance of '匂い' can sometimes imply a subtle or faint scent, as opposed to a strong or overpowering odor.

    Part Of Speech

    noun

    Kanji JLPT

    Unknown

    Kanji Grade

    10

    Frequency

    1299

    Composition

    kanji-hiragana

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 匂い

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Fragrance, Scent

Hiragana in the Word 匂い

This word contains 1 Hiragana character :

  • hiragana

    Reading

    I

Words Related to 匂い Through the Kanji

This Word contains the Kanji 匂 as well.

  • word

    匂う

    Meaning

    Smell, Suggest

Learn the Word 匂い

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What does 'Nioi' (匂い) mean?

'Nioi' means 'Smell' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.