About
The character "臭" originates from an ideographic composition combining "自", signifying the nose, and "犬", representing a dog, to depict the act of sniffing and thus initially conveyed a neutral sense of scent or the faculty of smell. Over time, its semantic range narrowed from denoting odors in general to specifically indicating foul or unpleasant smells, a shift reflecting linguistic usage where the character became primarily associated with negative olfactory qualities. This change in meaning occurred while the character's structure remained consistent, and it continues to function in modern language chiefly to express stench, though it retains a neutral role in select compounds such as "臭氧", meaning ozone, which literally translates to "lightning smell".
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
厕所里很臭。
臭豆腐闻起来臭。
冰箱里的食物变臭了。
他脱下的袜子非常臭。
夏天垃圾场散发出臭味。
臭水沟的味道让人恶心。
长时间不洗的鞋子会有臭气。
由于排水系统故障，整栋楼都弥漫着臭气。