Word
生臭い
Meaning in Englishsmelling of fish or blood, fish or meat
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
生臭い means having the odor of raw fish; it describes a strong, pungent smell associated with uncooked seafood and, by extension, a situation that feels suspicious or dubious.
Main meanings
- Literal smell: the strong odor of raw fish or seafood.
- Figurative sense: something that seems fishy or dubious, such as a story or behavior that smells dishonest.
How to use it
Used in casual to neutral speech to describe odors, especially the smell of raw seafood. In a figurative sense, it labels something as suspicious or dubious, appearing in conversation, journalism, and fiction when commenting on quality, authenticity, or credibility. Examples in Japanese: 生臭い匂いがする, 生臭い話には注意.
Variants and close terms
- 魚くさい (うおくさい, uokusai) — fishy-smelling
- 無臭 (むしゅう, mushuu) — odorless
- 生臭さ (なまくささ, namakusasa) — noun form meaning fishy smell
Composition
- 生 = raw, fresh
- 臭い = smell, odor
Etymology
nama raw + kusai smell; a native Japanese compound formed with kun readings; not borrowed from Chinese.
Word class
adjective (形容詞, i-adjective)