Japanese symbol for “smelly”
臭い
くさい
Romaji: kusai
stinking; smelly
In Japanese, smelly is 臭い, read くさい (kusai).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-i stinking; smelly
- adj-i suspicious; fishy
- adj-i hammy (acting); over-the-top; cheesy
- adj-i clumsy; unskilled
- adj-i (overly) gamey; strong-tasting
- adj-i, suf smelling of
Written forms: 臭い. Readings: くさい、くせー、くっせー.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “smelly”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| くちゃい | くちゃい kuchai | smelly; stinky |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 悪臭 | あくしゅう akushuu | bad smell; foul smell; offensive odor |
| 古臭い | ふるくさい furukusai | stale; old fashioned; hackneyed |
| 生臭い | なまぐさい namagusai | smelling of fish; fishy; smelling of blood |
| 臭気 | しゅうき shuuki | bad smell; stink |
| 口臭 | こうしゅう koushuu | bad breath; halitosis |
See also: Chinese symbol for “smelly”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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