homonym Comparative
匂い
VS
におい
Differences Between "匂い" and "におい"
Option A
匂い
Meaning
smell, scent (can be good or bad)
Reading
におい (nioi)
Syllabus Level
N4
Practical Example
花のいい匂いがします。
The flowers have a nice scent.
Option B
におい
Meaning
smell; odor; scent
Reading
におい (nioi)
Syllabus Level
N4
Practical Example
花のいい匂いがしますね。
The flowers have a nice scent, don't they?
Which one to use?
Select the correct Japanese word for this context
Which word fits this context: "(smell, scent (can be good or bad))"?
🎉 正解 / Correct!
使い分け解説:
- 匂い: Refers to the sensation received by the nose. Can be positive (香しい匂い - kaorubashii nioi) or negative (変な匂い - hen na nioi).
- におい: Can refer to both pleasant (scent, 良い匂い) and unpleasant (odor, 悪い匂い) smells. Often used with verbs like 「する」(to make/have a smell) or 「かぐ」(to smell/sniff).
- 匂い: Refers to the sensation received by the nose. Can be positive (香しい匂い - kaorubashii nioi) or negative (変な匂い - hen na nioi).
- におい: Can refer to both pleasant (scent, 良い匂い) and unpleasant (odor, 悪い匂い) smells. Often used with verbs like 「する」(to make/have a smell) or 「かぐ」(to smell/sniff).
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