香り

• Reading: かおり
• Romaji: kaori
• Kanji breakdown: 香 (ka/kou) — fragrance, incense, aroma
• Pronunciation: /ka.o.ɾi/

Meaning

Aroma; fragrance; pleasant scent. A refined term for describing good smells.

A noun derived from the verb 香る (to be fragrant). Unlike 匂い which can be neutral or negative, 香り almost always implies a pleasant scent. Used for flowers, coffee, perfume, and food. The kanji 香 appears in many compound words related to fragrance and incense.

Examples

1. コーヒーの香りで目が覚めた。 The aroma of coffee woke me up.
2. この花は甘い香りがする。 This flower has a sweet fragrance.
3. 部屋にいい香りが広がった。 A pleasant scent spread throughout the room.

Usage Guide

Context: food, nature, daily life

Tone: positive

Origin & History

From the kanji 香 (fragrance), which depicts grain (禾) above a sweet/pleasant element (日/甘). The り ending is the nominalized form of the verb 香る (to smell pleasant).

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal