incense, smell, perfume

About this kanji

The kanji 香 primarily means incense, smell, or perfume. It's widely used as a noun, but it can also function as a verb. For example, in the compound 香水 (こうすい), meaning "perfume," it shows how this kanji relates to pleasant scents. Another common usage is in 香り (かおり), which means "aroma," and it often describes the delightful smells of food or flowers. Additionally, the verb 香る (かおる) means "to smell sweet" and can describe something giving off a nice scent. An interesting note is that 香 is also found in the name of Hong Kong (香港), linking this kanji to a well-known place.

Example sentences

• この花はとても香しい。

  This flower is very fragrant.

Meanings across languages

English

incense, smell, perfume

Tiếng Việt

nhang, mùi, nước hoa

日本語

香, 匂い, 香水

한국어

향, 냄새, 향수

中文

香气, 气味, 香水

id

dukt

th

จุดธูป

es

incienso

fr

encens

de

Duft

pt

incenso

Common compounds

• 香港ホンコンHong Kong
• 香りかおりaroma, fragrance, scent
• 香水こうすいperfume, scent
• 香るかおるto smell sweet, to be fragrant
• 香ばしいこうばしいaromatic (roasted beans, roasted tea, etc.), fragrant (e.g. burning wood), pleasant-smelling
• 香典こうでんgift brought to a funeral (usu. money), funeral offering, condolence gift
• 線香せんこうincense stick
• 芳香ほうこうperfume, fragrance, aroma