About
The character "嗅" signifies the act of smelling and is constructed from the mouth radical "口" combined with "臭", a component that originally conveyed the general concept of odor. In early usage, "臭" encompassed both fragrant and malodorous scents, but its meaning gradually specialized to refer solely to foul smells, a shift that likely arose from common associations with unpleasant aromas. This semantic narrowing prompted the development of "嗅" to designate the neutral action of smelling, with the mouth radical specifying the involvement of the face's sensory apparatus in the verb. Consequently, while "臭" now primarily denotes a stench, "嗅" has consistently functioned as the standard verb for smelling within the linguistic system.
Example Sentences Hide
小狗嗅了嗅那朵花。
他的嗅觉非常灵敏。
猫喜欢嗅陌生人的气味。
警犬正在仔细嗅探行李。
我从空气中嗅到了春天的气息。
这位商人总能嗅到市场的商机。
敏锐的嗅觉让他提前嗅出了危险。
闭上眼睛，用嗅觉去感受这片森林的独特芬芳。