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Vocabulary

What does 臭い (くさい, kusai) mean?

臭い (くさい, kusai) means smelly, stinky.

Quick facts
Readingくさい
Romajikusai
Part of speechi-adjective
Level (estimated, JLPT framework)N3
くさい
N3 · estimated, JLPT frameworkCommonkusai

smelly, stinky

  1. 1i-adjective stinking; smelly
  2. 2i-adjective suspicious; fishy
  3. 3i-adjective hammy (acting); over-the-top; cheesy
  4. 4i-adjective clumsy; unskilled
  5. 5i-adjective (overly) gamey; strong-tasting

Example sentences

  • This fish smells a bit, doesn't it.

  • The socks smell, so please wash them.

Kanji in this word

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Data sources and licences

Entries, readings and English glosses: JMdict — Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group (EDRDG), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and their translations written by GoMe.

Voice: VOICEVOX Nemo.

N5–N1 levels on this page are estimates based on the JLPT framework, drawn from community benchmarks. GoMe Nihongo is not affiliated with the Japan Foundation or JEES, which administer the JLPT.