臭 (chòu): stench, smelly, to smell (bad)
臭 (chòu) is a Chinese character meaning “stench.” Classified as HSK Level 5 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 自 (structural) and 犬 (structural). It ranks #2069 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 臭 the smell 自 of a dirty dog 犬. Its radical form 自 (self) appears in many related characters such as 自 (zì, (bound form) self).
Definitions
- stench
- smelly
- to smell (bad)
Etymology & Origin
ideographicThe smell 自 of a dirty dog 犬
Decomposition: ⿱自犬 (layout: top-bottom)
Stroke Order
Practice writing 臭 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 臭味noun | chòu wèi | bad smell |
| 臭名昭著phrase | chòu míng zhāo zhù | notorious |
| 臭虫noun | chòu chóng | bedbug (Cimex lectularius) |
| 发臭verb | fā chòu | smelly |
| 臭气noun | chòu qì | stench |
| 恶臭noun | è chòu | stink |
| 口臭noun | kǒu chòu | bad breath |
| 乳臭未干phrase | rǔ xiù wèi gān | lit. smell of breast milk not yet dried (idiom) |
| 除臭剂noun | chú chòu jì | deodorant |
| 臭烘烘adjective | chòu hōng hōng | stinking |
| 臭氧层noun | chòu yǎng céng | ozone layer |
| 汗臭noun | hàn chòu | body odor |
| 腐臭noun | fǔ chòu | rotten (smell) |
| 狐臭noun | hú chòu | body odor |
| 遗臭万年phrase | yí chòu wàn nián | to have one's name go down in history as a byword for infamy (idiom) |
臭 appears in 63 compound words: 54 as the first character, 25 as the last, and 21 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 臭 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (9)
(idiom) to stink to high heaven; (fig.) (idiom) disgraceful; disgusting
to share common bad interests and tastes and get along; to share common interests and aspirations and get along
like flies pursuing a stink (idiom); the mob chases the rich and powerful; the crowd runs after trash
(idiom) to stink to high heaven; (fig.) (idiom) disgraceful; disgusting
to share common bad interests and tastes and get along; to share common interests and aspirations and get along
Example Sentences
臭字虽然难写，但意思很有趣。
chòu zì suī rán nán xiě , dàn yì sī hěn yǒu qù .
The character "臭" may be tricky to write, but its meaning is quite interesting.
6旬妇猝逝机师续飞行 331乘客闻尸臭味长达13小时
6 xún fù 猝 shì jī shī xù fēi háng 3 3 1 chéng kè wén shī chòu wèi cháng dá 1 3 xiǎo shí
Woman in Her 60s Dies Suddenly; Pilot Continues Flight; 331 Passengers Endure the Smell of a Decomposing Body for 13 Hours
...能除甲醛吗?选择安全的空气净化器,别被“臭氧”坑了
. . . néng chú jiǎ 醛 ma ? xuǎn zé ān quán de kōng qì jìng huà qì , bié bèi chòu yǎng kēng le
...Can it remove formaldehyde? Choose a safe air purifier—don’t fall for the “ozone” scam.
《逐玉》张凌赫“前女友”爆耍大牌!摆臭脸、催工作人员动作快
zhú yù zhāng líng hè qián nǚ yǒu bào shuǎ dà pái ! bǎi chòu liǎn , cuī gōng zuò rén yuán dòng zuò kuài
"Chasing Jade": Zhang Linghe's "Ex-Girlfriend" Accused of Acting Like a Diva! Pulling a Face and Urging Staff to Hurry Up
将军澳景林邨63岁男子倒毙寓所 单位传臭味保安报警揭发
jiāng jūn ào jǐng lín 邨 6 3 suì nán zǐ dǎo bì yù suǒ dān wèi chuán chòu wèi bǎo ān bào jǐng jiē fā
A 63-year-old man from King Lam Estate, Tseung Kwan O, collapsed to death in his apartment, and the unit reported a foul smell, and the security alarm was exposed
将军澳景林邨六旬汉倒毙寓所 单位传臭味保安报警揭发
jiāng jūn ào jǐng lín 邨 liù xún hàn dǎo bì yù suǒ dān wèi chuán chòu wèi bǎo ān bào jǐng jiē fā
A sixty-year-old man in King Lam Estate, Tseung Kwan O, collapsed and died in his apartment, and the unit reported a foul smell, and the security guard called the police
我刚打开锅盖，一股恶臭就扑鼻而来。
Wǒ gāng dǎkāi guōgài, yī gǔ èchòu jiù pūbí ér lái.
I just opened the lid, and a foul smell filled my nose.
我昨晚差点踩到一只臭鼬。
Wǒ zuówǎn chàdiǎn cǎi dào yī zhī chòuyòu.
I almost stepped on a skunk last night.
我们把他称为“臭鼬人”。
Wǒmen bǎ tā chēngwéi "chòuyòu rén ".
We call him "Skunk Man".
软弱的医生使伤口发臭。
Ruǎnruò de yīshēng shǐ shāngkǒu fāchòu.
Soft healers make stinking wounds.
Character Family
自 Radical Family — Characters sharing the self radical
Related Characters
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 臭 (chòu) mean in Chinese?
How many strokes does 臭 have?
What is the radical of 臭?
What are the components of 臭?
What are common words containing 臭?
What characters sound the same as 臭 (chòu)?
Is 臭 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 臭 with real-time feedback
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