smell, sniff, scent

About this kanji

The kanji 嗅 (きゅう, かぐ) means to smell or sniff, and it's primarily used as a verb. For example, 嗅ぐ (かぐ) means 'to sniff.' It also appears in compounds like 嗅覚 (きゅうかく), which means 'sense of smell,' and 嗅球 (きゅうきゅう), meaning 'olfactory bulb,' part of the brain that processes smells. Another interesting term is 幻嗅 (げんきゅう), referring to a condition where one perceives smells that aren’t actually present. When using 嗅 in conversation, remember that its focus is on the action of smelling rather than sheer scent or fragrance itself.

Example sentences

• 花の香りを嗅いだ。

  I smelled the fragrance of the flowers.

Meanings across languages

English

smell, sniff, scent

Tiếng Việt

ngửi, hít thở, mùi

日本語

嗅ぐ, 嗅ぎ取る, 香り

한국어

냄새 맡다, 후각, 향기

中文

闻, 嗅, 气味

id

bau, mencium, aroma

th

กลิ่น, การดมกลิ่น, น้ำหอม

es

olor, olfato, fragancia

fr

odeur, renifler, parfum

de

Geruch, Schnüffeln, Duft

pt

cheiro, cheirar, scent

Common compounds

• 嗅ぐかぐto sniff, to smell
• 嗅覚きゅうかくsense of smell, olfaction
• 嗅脳きゅうのうrhinencephalon
• 嗅球きゅうきゅうolfactory bulb, bulbus olfactorius
• 幻嗅げんきゅうphantosmia, phantom smell, olfactory hallucination
• 嗅神経きゅうしんけいolfactory nerve
• 嗅細胞きゅうさいぼうolfactory cell
• 嗅ぎ茶かぎちゃtea tasting, tea-tasting