Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| воню́чий | vonjúčij |
| ду́рно па́хнущий | dúrno páxnuščij |
| злово́нный | zlovónnyj |
воню́чий is used to describe something with an unpleasant odor. It can be used with the word человек (person) to specifically describe a person's body odor. You may also encounter the simile вонючий как козел, which means 'smelly as a goat'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ду́рно па́хнущий is composed of the adverb ду́рно (badly) and the participle па́хнущий (smelling).
Which one should you use?
воню́чий is the most common and blunt way to express that something is smelly. ду́рно па́хнущий is a more formal and polite way to say something is 'smelling bad'. злово́нный is a literary or high-style term used for a heavy, foul or fetid smell.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective воню́чий changes its ending depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes: use воню́чая for feminine nouns, воню́чее for neuter nouns and воню́чие for plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
vonjúčij
Did you know?
- In an attempt to be polite, Russians may avoid воню́чий and instead use the phrase специфи́ческий за́пах, meaning 'a specific smell', to imply something is smelly without saying it directly.
- The word злово́нный contains the root зло, which means 'evil', suggesting that a truly foul smell is something inherently bad or malicious.
- The word злово́нный is often used in Russian religious texts and old literature to describe the 'stink' of sin or moral corruption.
Examples in context
- В метро было нестерпимо зловонноIt was unbearably smelly in the subway
- Этот воню́чий мусор нужно вынести.Etot vonyuchiy musor nuzhno vynesti.This smelly trash needs to be taken out.
- В этом подвале очень воню́чий воздух.V etom podvale ochen' vonyuchiy vozdukh.The air in this basement is very smelly.
- У него был воню́чий носок.U nego byl vonyuchiy nosok.He had a smelly sock.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “smelly” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
