seng1 sou1腥臊
Jyutpingseng1 sou1
Yalesēng sōu
Definition
Smelly; having an offensive smell of urine, raw meat, or wild animals.
colloquialdescriptionsbody
How it's used
Describes a specific, sharp, and unpleasant odor that is often associated with animal musk, raw meat, or stale urine. It carries a strong negative connotation and is typically used to describe environments or clothing that have become unhygienic. Unlike general words for bad smells, this term implies a biological or organic source of the stench.
Examples
It smells really pungent and urine-like here, let's leave quickly.
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 臭, which is a general term for any bad smell. 腥臊 specifically highlights a pungent, animalistic, or ammonia-like quality that is much more offensive than simple decay.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
