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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'smell' with 气味 (qìwèi)

    Description & Modification

    Structure

    Modifier + 的 + 气味

    Explanation

    气味 (qìwèi) is a noun meaning "smell" or "odor," used to describe the scent of something. It often appears with modifiers like 独特的 (unique) or 难闻的 (unpleasant) to characterize a particular smell. You can use it to talk about the aroma of food, the scent of flowers, or any detectable odor.

    Examples

    • 厨房里飘出一股奇怪的气味，你闻到了吗？

      Chúfáng lǐ piāo chū yì gǔ qíguài de qìwèi, nǐ wén dào le ma?

      There's a strange smell coming from the kitchen — can you smell it?

    • 这种花的气味特别好闻，我很喜欢。

      Zhè zhǒng huā de qìwèi tèbié hǎowén, wǒ hěn xǐhuān.

      This type of flower smells especially nice — I really like it.

    • 冰箱里有一股难闻的气味，得清理一下了。

      Bīngxiāng lǐ yǒu yì gǔ nánwén de qìwèi, děi qīnglǐ yíxià le.

      There's an unpleasant smell in the fridge — it needs to be cleaned out.

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    Expressing 'smell' with 气味 (qìwèi) | Chinese Grammar