How to say "stink" in Japanese

• 臭気しゅうきCommon
  nounA noun for a bad smell or stink. It names the odor itself in a plain way, without the force of 悪臭 — the word for describing or reporting an unpleasant smell you notice.
• 悪臭あくしゅうCommon
  nounA noun for a foul smell, offensive odor, or stench. Stronger than 臭気, it emphasizes how bad the smell is; use it when an odor is genuinely offensive rather than just noticeable.
  その気体きたいは悪臭あくしゅうを放はなつ。↗

  This gas gives off a bad smell.
• 匂うにおうJLPT N2approx.Common
  godan verb, intransitive verbThe verb: to stink or to smell bad. Use it when your sentence needs to say that something smells, rather than to name the smell itself as 臭気 or 悪臭 do.
  この辺へん臭におうんだけど。↗

  Something stinks here.

臭気 and 悪臭 are nouns naming a bad smell, with 悪臭 the stronger, fouler word, while 「匂う」 is the verb 'to stink'; choose by meaning and by whether your sentence needs a noun or a verb.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 臭気しゅうきbad smell
• 悪臭あくしゅうbad smell
• 臭味しゅうみbad smell
• 悪臭を放つあくしゅうをはなつto give off a stench
• 匂うにおうto stink
• 鼻につくはなにつくto stink