臭い
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Base i-adjective form ending in 『い』. Describes a strong, unpleasant smell.
Theme
Two friends, Ken and User, are cleaning out an old storage room in Ken's apartment. They come across some forgotten items and discuss their condition.
臭い
くさい
stinky, smelly, bad-smelling
Core Language Building BlocksCore Adjectives
Memory Hook
Think of something so 'stinky' it makes you say 'kusa-i!' — like a pile of grass (kusa) that smells bad. 'Kusa-i' → 『くさい』 (kusai, 'stinky').
Cultural Note
In Japan, 『臭い』 (kusai) is commonly used to describe unpleasant odors, such as from food, garbage, or sweat. It's a direct word, so use it carefully to avoid offense in polite settings.
Forms
Base: 臭いBase i-adjective form ending in 『い』. Describes a strong, unpleasant smell.
Negative: 臭くないDrop 『い』 → add 『くない』 (kunai, negative) → 『臭くない』 (kusakunai).
Past: 臭かったDrop 『い』 → add 『かった』 (katta, past) → 『臭かった』 (kusakatta).
Adverbial: 臭くDrop 『い』 → add 『く』 (ku, adverbial) → 『臭く』 (kusaku).
Comparative: より臭いComparative formed with modifier 『より』 (yori, 'more than') + base adjective.
Superlative: 一番臭いSuperlative formed with 『一番』 (ichiban, 'number one / Most') + adjective.