What does it mean word for word?
Literally, いい匂いがする means 'a good smell does/exists'.
Which one should you use?
While いい匂い is a general term for a good smell, いい香り is used for more elegant, refined or fragrant scents such as perfume or flowers.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For polite speech, such as when speaking to strangers, superiors or in formal settings, use the polite form いい匂いがします. The shorter version 匂いがいい is an informal way to say 'the smell is nice'. To be more formal, you can also say 香りがいいです, which means 'the fragrance is good'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the verb する is used to indicate that a sensation, such as a smell or a sound, is being perceived by the subject. If you want to say 'it smelled good' in the past tense, change the verb する to the past tense した, resulting in いい匂いがした.
How do you pronounce it?
ii nioi ga suru
Did you know?
- While いい匂い describes a smell, the word 匂い on its own is occasionally used to describe a 'suspicious' or 'fishy' situation, similar to the English phrase 'I smell something fishy'.
- Japanese has a specific word, 香り used in いい香り, that is rooted in the ancient tradition of incense blending called 香道 or 'the way of fragrance'.
- When describing a person's scent, using いい匂い is a common way to compliment them, but it is much more intimate than simply saying 'you smell good' in English.
Examples in context
- いい匂いがするね？It smells good, doesn't it?This sentence is useful for confirming a pleasant scent with someone.Tatoeba #9431908 by small_snow, translation #9338031 by DJ_Saidez
- この水はいい匂いがする。This water smells good.This sentence is useful for stating that a specific substance like water has a good smell.Tatoeba #220976 by small_snow, translation #12018792 by rul
- ランチのいい匂いがする。Lunch smells good.This sentence is useful for describing the pleasant scent of food like lunch.Tatoeba #11851892 by small_snow, translation #11341780 by ddnktr
- Ringō no kaori ga iidesu (リンゴの香りがいいです)The smell of apples is good.
- Kono heiya wa ii nioi ga shimasu (この部屋はいい匂いがします)This room smells nice.
Example conversation
A woman and a man are walking through a park in spring.
- 陽葵 Himariあ、いい匂いがする。A, ii nioi ga suru.Ah, it smells good.
- 蓮 Ren本当だね。花のいい匂いがするね。Hontou da ne. Hana no ii nioi ga suru ne.You're right. The flowers smell good, don't they?
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さんもそう思う？Ren-san mo sou omou?Do you think so too, Ren?
- 蓮 Renうん、とてもいい匂いがするよ。Un, totemo ii nioi ga suru yo.Yeah, it smells very good.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
