냄새나는
naemsae-naneun
The English word 'stinky' can be translated into Korean as 냄새나는 (naemsae-naneun). Wiktionary also lists 지독한 (jidok-han).
Meaning: having a strong, unpleasant smell (adj)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 냄새나는 | naemsae-naneun |
| 지독한 | jidok-han |
While 냄새나는 is a neutral adjective for 'smelling' or 'stinky', you might use more specific phrases depending on the situation.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 냄새나는 is a combination of 냄새, meaning 'smell' and 나는, meaning 'that comes out' or 'emits'.
Which one should you use?
냄새나는 is a neutral way to say 'smelling' or 'stinky'. In contrast, 지독한 is much stronger and implies a 'terrible' or 'intense' smell. Additionally, 구린 serves as a more colloquial and often more negative way to describe a foul or stinky smell.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to use a verb phrase to say 'it smells' rather than using the adjective, use the construction 냄새가 나다.
How do you pronounce it?
naemsae-naneun
Did you know?
- While 냄새나는 is neutral, adding the prefix 개- can create an intensified version of 'stinky' in slang, though this is very informal and can be considered vulgar.
- Korean has a specific term 꼬릿한 for the 'stinky' smell of fermented foods like aged cheese or traditional Korean socks, which is considered a distinct category from generally foul odors.
- If you want to say something smells 'badly', you might use 고약하다, which implies a sense of being 'malicious' or 'vile' alongside the stench.
Examples in context
- 이 방은 악취가 나요.This room smells bad.
- 이 냄새나는 치즈는 너무 강해요.i naemsenaeneun chijeuneun neomu ganghaeyo.This stinky cheese is too strong.
Example conversation
Minji and Hyunwoo are in the kitchen cleaning up.
- 민지 Min-ji현우 씨, 이 냄새나는 봉투 좀 버려 주세요.Hyunwoo ssi, i naemsenaeneun bongtu jom beoryeo juseyo.Hyunwoo, please throw away this stinky bag.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo알겠어요. 정말 냄새가 심하네요.Algesseoyo. Jeongmal naemsaega simhaneyo.I got it. It really smells bad.
- 민지 Min-ji빨리 버리고 와요.Ppalli beorigo wayo.Please go throw it away quickly.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 금방 다녀올게요.Ne, geumbang danyeoolgeyo.Okay, I'll be right back.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stinky” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
