匂 means “smell, scent”

におい · nioi

Also: fragrant, stink, glow, insinuate

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

におう, におい, におわせる

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 4 strokes

The story

Something wrapped (勹) around 匕: one of the kanji Japan made for itself. 匂い is a smell, usually a pleasant one, while bad smells get 臭い, and 匂わせ is a hint dropped online, like a partner's mug left in a photo.

Used in 匂い (nioi, smell/scent), 匂う (niou, to smell), and 匂わせ (niowase, hinting)

More from The Senses

• 嗅 smell
• 瞭 clear
• 視 look at
• 聴 listen
• 芳 fragrant
• 眺 gaze
• 臭 smelly
• 盲 blind
• 薫 fragrant

Learn 匂 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.