Translation guide
How to express that something smells bad in Japanese, from casual complaints to formal descriptions.
To say something smells bad or stinks.
This garbage stinks, doesn't it?
The socks stink.
Literally 'has a bad smell'. More descriptive and slightly less direct than 臭い alone.
This room smells weird.
Formal or written term for 'stench' or 'foul odor'. Used in news or official contexts.
A foul odor is drifting from the factory.
To express the action of smelling a bad odor.
Literally 'to smell a bad smell'. Use 嗅ぐ for intentionally sniffing something.
He smelled the stink of his socks.
To say something makes a place smell bad.
To express that a situation seems suspicious or corrupt, like 'something stinks'.
To describe particular types of bad smells.
臭い (kusai) is an adjective meaning 'stinks', while 匂い (nioi) is a noun meaning 'smell' (neutral or pleasant). Saying いい匂い means 'good smell', but 臭い alone always implies bad smell.
You can attach 臭い to some nouns to create compound adjectives describing a specific bad smell, e.g., 汗臭い (ase-kusai, sweaty smell), 酒臭い (sake-kusai, reeking of alcohol). This is very productive in casual speech.
Don't make my clothes stink of cigarette smoke.
Means 'suspicious-looking' or 'shady'. Stronger than 臭い alone.
That salesman stinks (seems shady).
Doesn't something smell burnt?
このタオル、カビ臭いよ。
This towel stinks of mildew.