臭

• Pinyin: chòu
• Hanzi breakdown: 臭 = 自 (nose) + 犬 (dog), dogs being known for their sense of smell

Meaning

Smelly; stinky; foul-smelling.

Describes bad odors, but also used figuratively for bad reputation or despicable behavior. Interestingly, the character originally meant 'smell' in general and can mean 'fragrant' in classical texts, though modern usage is predominantly negative.

Examples

1. 冰箱里的牛奶放太久了，已经臭了。 The milk in the fridge has been there too long — it's gone bad.
2. 这双鞋子穿了一天，脚臭死了。 After wearing these shoes all day, my feet stink terribly.
3. 他在圈子里名声很臭，没人愿意跟他合作。 His reputation in the industry is terrible; no one wants to work with him.

Usage Guide

Context: smells, reputation, daily life

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 这里好臭啊！(It really stinks here!)
• 别让名声搞臭了。(Don't ruin your reputation.)

Don't Say

• 对人说'你身上很臭'是很不礼貌的——如果需要提醒，应该委婉表达 (Saying 你身上很臭 to someone is very rude — if you need to mention it, be tactful)

Origin & History

Composed of 自 (nose) + 犬 (dog), originally meaning 'to smell' in general, later specialized to mean bad smell.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal