Japanese Conversation · Level 67
75 words
Japanese word
匂う
Pronunciation
Romajiniou
Meaning
- verbsmell sweet, smell good
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.
More examples
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.
Core concept
Centers on a source giving off a sweet scent that is sensed through the nose.
Common phrases
甘く匂うama ku nio u
smell sweet
ほのかに匂うho no ka ni nio u
smell faintly
Similar words
香るkaoru: To give off a pleasant fragrance.
薫るkaoru: To give off a pleasant fragrance in a literary or elevated style.
Definition in Japanese
花や食べ物などが、甘い香りを放つ。hana ya ta be mono na do ga ama i kao ri o hana tsu
Word origin
匂う (niō, "to smell fragrant") is a native Japanese verb associated with 匂い (nioi, "scent"); the older written form is 匂ふ (niō).
Usage tips
- 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.