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臭

臭 — stinking, ill-smelling, suspicious looking

Learn the correct stroke order for 臭 (stinking), a 9-stroke kanji.

JLPT N1Secondary school9 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 9
On'yomi (音読み)シュウshuu
Kun'yomi (訓読み)くさ.いkusai、-くさ.いkusai、にお.うniou、にお.いnioi
Strokes9
Radical自
Frequency#1760
Meaningsstinking, ill-smelling, suspicious looking, odor, savor, fragrance, be fragrant, stink, glow, be bright

Step-by-Step Diagram

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Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 9 — start from the green dot

Common Words

悪臭あくしゅうbad smell; foul smell; offensive odornoun
臭いくさいstinking; smellyi-adjective
臭気しゅうきbad smell; stinknoun
古臭いふるくさいstale; old fashioned; hackneyedi-adjective
生臭いなまぐさいsmelling of fish; fishy; smelling of bloodi-adjective
水臭いみずくさいstand-offish; distant; not franki-adjective

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 臭 (stinking) is part of the secondary school kanji set and appears at JLPT N1 level. It has 9 strokes with radical 自.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 臭 is #1760, making it a moderately common kanji.

Example Words in Context

悪臭あくしゅう — bad smell; foul smell; offensive odor
臭いくさい — stinking; smelly
臭気しゅうき — bad smell; stink

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (自)

自oneself

Same reading

衆masses修discipline就concerning執tenacious秀excel宗religion渋astringent襲attack

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 臭 have?

The kanji 臭 (stinking) has 9 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 臭?

臭 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 臭 mean?

臭 means: stinking, ill-smelling, suspicious looking, odor, savor, fragrance, be fragrant, stink, glow, be bright. On'yomi readings: シュウ. Kun'yomi readings: くさ.い, -くさ.い, にお.う, にお.い.

What JLPT level is 臭?

臭 is a JLPT N1 kanji. This is an advanced kanji.