臭い（くさい）
JLPT N5 · i-adjective
Pitch accent: nakadaka (middle-high) — pitch drops after mora 2
Meaning: smelly
Conjugation
| Form | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| te-form | 臭くて | くさくて |
| ta-form (past) | 臭かった | くさかった |
| nai-form (negative) | 臭くない | くさくない |
See the full conjugation table for "臭い" →
Example sentences
- この魚は少し臭い。 — This fish smells a bit off.
- ごみが臭いので早く捨てる。 — The trash smells bad, so I'll throw it out soon.
Idioms & proverbs containing “臭い”
- 臭いもの身知らず (くさいものみしらず) — it's hard to notice one's own faults; one does not notice one's own body odour
- 臭い物に蝿がたかる (くさいものにはえがたかる) — flies are attracted to foul smells; ruffians flock together
- 乳臭い (ちちくさい) — green; wet behind the ears; immature; smelling of milk
- 臭いものに蓋 (くさいものにふた) — looking the other way; hushing up a problem
- 臭い飯を食う (くさいめしをくう) — to go to prison; to serve a prison term; to eat foul-smelling food
- 臭い物に蓋をする (くさいものにふたをする) — to look the other way; to hush up a problem
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “臭い” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)