나쁜 냄새
nappeun naemsae
The English phrase 'bad smell' is translated into Korean as 나쁜 냄새 (nappeun naemsae).
나쁜 냄새 is used to describe an unpleasant or offensive odor. For a more intense or formal expression, such as 'stench' or 'foul odor', you can use the single noun 악취.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective 나쁜 (nappeun), meaning 'bad' and the noun 냄새 (naemsae), meaning 'smell'.
Which one should you use?
While 나쁜 냄새 is a general way to describe an unpleasant odor, 악취 is a more intense and formal way to denote a strong stench.
How do you pronounce it?
nappeun naemsae
Did you know?
- Koreans use the word 냄새 not only for odors but as a metaphor for a 'vibe' or 'hint' of something, such as 돈 냄새 ('money smell') to describe a lucrative opportunity.
- The formal term 악취 uses the Hanja (Chinese character) 악 ('bad' or 'evil'), the same character used in words for 'villain' or 'malice'.
- While 나쁜 냄새 is a general term, Koreans often use the specific word 누린내 to describe the gamey smell of meat or 비린내 for the fishy smell of seafood.
Examples in context
- 요즘 도서관에서 악취가 나던데요.These days, there's a bad smell coming from the library.
- 여기서 나쁜 냄새가 나요.yeogiseo nappeun naemsaega nayo.There is a bad smell coming from here.
- 쓰레기통에서 나쁜 냄새가 나요.sseureugitong-eseo nappeun naemsaega nayo.A bad smell is coming from the trash can.
- 나쁜 냄새 때문에 머리가 아파요.nappeun naemsae ttaemune meoriga apayo.My head hurts because of the bad smell.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Min-jun are walking into a room.
- 지은 Ji-eun민준 씨, 어디서 나쁜 냄새 안 나요?Minjun ssi, eodiseo nappeun naemsae an nayo?Min-jun, don't you smell a bad smell somewhere?
- 민준 Min-jun네, 저도 느껴요. 정말 심하네요.ne, jeodo neukkyeoyo. jeongmal simhaneyo.Yes, I notice it too. It's really strong.
- 지은 Ji-eun창문을 좀 열까요?changmuneul jom yeolkkayo?Shall we open the window a bit?
- 민준 Min-jun좋아요. 빨리 환기시켜요.joayo. ppalli hwangisikyeoyo.Good idea. Let's air it out quickly.
