Definition
臭 (chòu) describes a strong unpleasant smell (literal) or, figuratively, something terrible like a skill, idea, or reputation (lousy). Unlike 糟糕 (zāo gāo, used for bad situations/events, no smell sense), 臭 is specific to odor or criticism of quality. 烂 (làn) shares the literal 'rotten' sense but for food texture/spoilage, not smell.
adjective
smellystinky (literal)(figurative) terriblelousyterrible (of a skill, idea, reputation)
Easily confused
- 嗅xiùlook-aliketo smell; to sniff
- 抽chōusound-aliketo draw out, to pull out (from in between)
- 丑chǒusound-alikeugly
- 筹chóusound-aliketo plan, to prepare
- 愁chóusound-aliketo worry about, to be anxious about
- 仇chóusound-alikehatred, animosity, enmity
- 瞅chǒusound-aliketo look at (dialectal), to glance
- 稠chóusound-alike(of liquid) thick, dense in consistency
Examples
- 臭，。Zhè tiáo yú yǐjīng chòu le, bù néng chī.This fish has gone bad (is smelly) and can't be eaten.
- 臭，。Tā xià de qí zhēn chòu, měi cì dōu shū.He plays chess terribly; he loses every time.
- 臭。Tā zuìjìn chū de jǐ gè zhǔyi dōu hěn chòu.The ideas he's come up with recently are all terrible.
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