cau3 mei6臭味
Jyutpingcau3 mei6
Yalechau meih
Definition
Stench, odor, or an awful smell.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Focus on the intensity of the smell rather than just the presence of it. While it can refer to literal odors, it is frequently used in metaphorical contexts to describe corruption or moral decay. When describing a specific instance of a smell, it is almost always paired with the classifier 陣.
Measure word
zan6陣janhExamples
Why is there such a foul smell here?
Related words
Common phrases
birds of a feather flock together
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 臭, which is an adjective meaning smelly. Using 臭味 as an adjective will sound unnatural to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
