臭 means “smelly, stink, odor”

くさい · kusai

Also: stinking, ill-smelling, suspicious looking

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

くさい, におう, におい

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

シュウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 9 strokes

The story

A nose (自) over 大: the Shuowen says 臭 was a nose and a dog (犬), the animal that tracks by smell; today's form has dropped the dog's dot. 臭い is smelly, 消臭 is deodorizing, and 面倒臭い, a pain, stinks of hassle.

Used in 臭い (kusai, smelly), 悪臭 (akushuu, stench), and 面倒臭い (mendoukusai, a pain/too much bother)

More from The Senses

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

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

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