腥

• Pinyin: xīng
• Hanzi breakdown: 腥 = 月 (flesh/body radical) + 星 (phonetic component)

Meaning

Fishy; having the smell of raw meat or fish. Describing an unpleasant raw or bloody odour.

Used to describe the pungent smell of raw seafood, blood, or certain meats before cooking. Appears in culinary, literary, and figurative contexts. Often paired with 味 (smell) as 腥味.

Examples

1. 市场上新鲜海鲜散发出浓烈的腥味，令不习惯的人感到不适。 Fresh seafood at the market gives off a strong fishy smell that can make people who aren’t used to it feel uncomfortable.
2. 厨师在烹饪鱼类时通常会加入姜和料酒，以去除腥味。 When cooking fish, chefs usually add ginger and cooking wine to get rid of the fishy odor.
3. 雨后的河边飘来一股淡淡的腥气，令他想起了儿时垂钓的岁月。 After the rain, a faint fishy smell drifted from the riverbank, reminding him of the days he went fishing as a child.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, food, sensory description

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这条鱼处理不好，腥味很重，影响口感。(This fish wasn't processed well; the fishy smell is strong and affects the taste.)
• 用柠檬汁腌制海鲜有助于减轻腥味。(Marinating seafood in lemon juice helps reduce the fishy smell.)

Don't Say

• 腥 for all bad smells — 腥 specifically refers to the smell of raw fish, meat, or blood; use 臭 for general unpleasant odours

Origin & History

月 (flesh radical) + 星 (phonetic component)

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional to Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal