嗅ぐ
kagu[ka̠ɡɯ̟]
The Japanese phrase for "to smell" is 嗅ぐ (kagu).
嗅ぐ refers to the intentional action of using one's nose to perceive a scent.
Which one should you use?
Use 嗅ぐ when an agent is performing the action of sniffing. In contrast, use においがする to describe the sensation that a smell is present.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of 嗅ぐ is 嗅いだ.
How do you pronounce it?
kagu
Did you know?
- In certain contexts, the verb 嗅ぐ can be used metaphorically to mean 'to catch a whiff' of a rumor or a trend before it becomes obvious.
- The verb 嗅ぐ is specifically for active sniffing, but Japanese uses different words for 'smelling' depending on whether the scent is pleasant or unpleasant, such as 香り for fragrances and 臭い for stinks.
- The word 嗅ぐ is etymologically linked to the character 香, which means 'fragrance' or 'incense'.
Examples in context
- ゴミのにおいがしない。The garbage doesn't smell.
- 花の香りを嗅ぐTo smell the scent of a flower
- 花の香りを嗅ぐ。Hana no kaori o kagu.To smell the scent of flowers.
- 料理の匂いを嗅ぐ。Ryōri no nioi o kagu.To smell the aroma of the cooking.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 嗅ぐ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 嗅ぐ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
