English–Japanese

“smell sweet” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajiniou

Example

庭の花が甘く匂います。niwa no hana ga ama ku nio i ma su

The flowers in the garden smell sweet.

Illustration for 匂う (smell sweet)

How to say “smell sweet” in Japanese

“Smell sweet” in Japanese is 匂う (niou). 匂う can also mean “smell good”.

Centers on a source giving off a sweet scent that is sensed through the nose.

Full entry for 匂う: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 匂う

庭の花が匂います。niwa no hana ga nio i ma su

The flowers in the garden smell good.

この香水は、時間がたつと甘く匂います。ko no kō sui wa ji kan ga ta tsu to ama ku nio i ma su

This perfume smells sweet after a while.

Tips for using 匂う

  • With the same pronunciation, 臭う (niō) usually suggests an unpleasant odor, while 匂う (niō) suggests a pleasant one, so the kanji changes the nuance.

Related English words

“smell sweet” in other languages