腥 (xīng) - Fishy smell & stench

腥Tone 1

xīng ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

信嫣

腥 · xīng

Fishy smell;

stench;

raw meat;

bloody;

refers to something unpleasant or morally corrupt.

Fishy smellstenchraw meat

Usage highlights

Fishy smellStench of bloodFishy and smellyRaw fishy smellFishy windBloody rain

Synonyms

  • 臭— stinky, foul-smelling
  • 膻— the smell of mutton or goat

Antonyms

  • 香— fragrant, aromatic
  • 芳— fragrant, sweet-smelling

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The fish market has a fishy smell (腥味).
  • He smelled the stench of blood (血腥味).
  • The scandal had a fishy odor (腥臭).
  • The raw meat had a strong odor (生腥).

Collocations

  • Fishy smell(腥味)
  • Stench of blood(血腥)
  • Fishy and smelly(腥臭)
  • Raw fishy smell(生腥)
  • Fishy wind(腥风)
  • Bloody rain(血雨腥风)

Idioms

  • Fishy winds and bloody rain (腥风血雨) — describing a very violent and bloody situation
  • Full of fishy smell (腥膻遍地) — describing widespread corruption or filth
  • Fishy and filthy (腥秽不堪) — extremely dirty and smelly

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Traditionally associated with raw meat, fish, and blood, carrying negative connotations of unpleasantness and impurity.
  • In Chinese culture, '腥' often symbolizes moral corruption, violence, or something distasteful.
  • Used metaphorically in literature to describe corrupt officials or dirty dealings.

FAQ