Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| bốc mùi thối | [ʔɓəwk͡p̚˧˦ muj˨˩ tʰoj˧˦] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
| bay mùi thối | [ʔɓaj˧˧ muj˨˩ tʰoj˧˦] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
| thối | [tʰoj˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [tʰoj˨˩˦] (Huế, narrow) |
The term is used to describe having a strong, bad smell. While bốc mùi thối is a way to say something emits a bad smell, you may also use Mùi hôi to mean 'smell stinky', which is a common and neutral term used in both formal and informal contexts. If you want to specifically describe a 'rotten smell' similar to something decayed, you can use Hôi thối.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase bốc mùi thối literally means 'to emit a rotten smell', where bốc means to emit or rise, mùi means smell and thối means rotten or stinking.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the action being described: bốc mùi thối is a verb phrase meaning 'to emit a bad smell', while bay mùi thối is used specifically to describe the way a bad smell is wafting or spreading through the air or a space. Additionally, while the full phrase is a verb, the single word thối can function as both an adjective meaning 'rotten' and a verb meaning 'to stink'. Finally, mùi thối is the noun phrase specifically for 'the smell of something rotten'.
Did you know?
- The word bốc is also used as a 'Vietnamesized' spelling of the English word 'box'.
- The term thối is used not only for organic decay but can be used metaphorically in slang to describe someone with a 'rotten' or unpleasant personality.
- The word bay in the phrase bay mùi thối literally means 'to fly', used here to describe the way a scent wafts through the air.
Examples in context
- Món này có mùi hôiThis dish has a bad smell
- Thùng rác này đang bốc mùi thối.This trash can is stinking.
- Con cá này bắt đầu bốc mùi thối rồi.This fish is starting to stink.
- Đừng để thức ăn cũ bốc mùi thối trong tủ lạnh.Don't let old food stink in the refrigerator.
Example conversation
Minh and Mai are cleaning the kitchen.
- MinhMai ơi, đống thức ăn này đang bốc mùi thối quá.Mai, this food is stinking so bad.
- MaiĐể em vứt nó đi ngay.Let me throw it away right now.
- MinhAnh sẽ dọn dẹp chỗ đó cho em.I will clean that spot for you.
- MaiCảm ơn anh nhiều nhé.Thank you so much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stink” translations and entries thối, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (bốc, mùi, thối, bay) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bay, bốc, mùi, thối, CC BY-SA 4.0.
