匂い

• Reading: におい
• Romaji: nioi
• Kanji breakdown: 匂 (nio) — smell, scent, fragrance
• Pronunciation: /ni.o.i/

Meaning

Smell; scent; odour. The quality detected by the nose.

Can refer to both pleasant and unpleasant smells, though for strongly bad odours, 臭い (kusai) is more common. Often written in hiragana as におい. The related verb is 匂う (niou, to smell). Used both literally and figuratively.

Examples

1. このパンはいい匂いがします。 This bread smells wonderful.
2. 花の匂いが好きです。 I like the smell of flowers.
3. おいしい匂いがしますね。 Something smells delicious, doesn't it?

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, food, nature

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese nihohi, originally meaning a visual glow or radiance of colour. Over centuries, the meaning shifted from visual beauty to olfactory sensation.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal