芳しい・香しい・馨しい|かんばしいkanbashii[4]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
芳しい芳しい is the most common written form. It can describe a sweet smell or fragrance, and figuratively good reputation, condition, or results.
香しい香しい is less common than 芳しい, but it expresses the same literal and figurative senses: sweet-smelling or fragrant, and good in reputation, condition, or results.
馨しい馨しい is the least common of these written forms. It has the same meanings, including sweet-smelling or fragrant and figuratively good reputation, condition, or results.
Definitions
- i-adjectivesweet-smelling; fragrant; aromatic
- i-adjectivegood (reputation, condition, results, etc.); favorableusu. in the negative
Conjugation
| Plain form | 芳しい（かんばしい） |
|---|---|
| Polite (desu) | 芳しいです（かんばしいです） |
| Negative (kunai) | 芳しくない（かんばしくない） |
| polite (ku arimasen) | 芳しくありません（かんばしくありません） |
| Past (katta) | 芳しかった（かんばしかった） |
| Past negative (kunakatta) | 芳しくなかった（かんばしくなかった） |
| Te form (kute) | 芳しくて（かんばしくて） |
| Adverbial (ku) | 芳しく（かんばしく） |
| Conditional (kereba) | 芳しければ（かんばしければ） |
| kattara | 芳しかったら（かんばしかったら） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym香ばしいこうばしいNeutralThe savory aroma of roasted or toasted food. Covers food smells, whereas 「芳しい」 typically describes flowers or good results and reputation.
- SynonymかぐわしいWrittenDescribes a heady, captivating fragrance; an archaic, literary word. Shares its origin with 「芳しい」 but has no use for results or reputation.
- Related好ましいこのましいNeutralMeans desirable or pleasing, with emphasis on a favorable impression; can appear as 「好ましい香り」, but does not itself mean fragrant.
- Related匂やかにおやかWrittenDescribes a sweet fragrance, and also radiant, glossy beauty; a literary word.
- Related匂いやかにおいやかWrittenDescribes a pleasing fragrance and glossy, beautiful shine; literary in tone.
- Related好もしいこのもしいNeutralAn older, rarer variant of 「好ましい」; likewise conveys a favorable, likeable impression rather than fragrance.
- Antonym悪臭あくしゅうNeutralA noun for a foul, offensive stench; the opposite of 「芳しい」 in its fragrant sense.
- Antonym臭いくさいNeutralMeans bad-smelling, and by extension suspicious; the opposite of 「芳しい」.
Use 「芳しい」 for a sweet fragrance or for good results and reputations, often negative as 「芳しくない結果」. Say 「香ばしい」 for roasted-food aromas, 「香しい」 for an archaic literary scent, 「好ましい」 for something desirable. The antonym is 「臭い」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
