臊 (sāo) - scent of meat or fat & rank smell

臊Tone 1

sāo ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

三姗

臊 · sāo

scent of meat or fat;

rank smell;

shy, bashful;

embarrassed

scent of meat or fatrank smellshy, bashful

Usage highlights

gamey smellfeel shyrank odorbashful expressionmeat smelleliminate odor

Synonyms

  • 腥— fishy smell; rank odor
  • 羞— shy; bashful
  • 臭— stinky; foul odor

Antonyms

  • 香— fragrant; pleasant smell
  • 勇— brave; courageous (antonym to shyness)
  • 厚脸皮— thick-skinned; shameless

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The pork has a gamey smell (猪肉有臊味).
  • She felt shy and embarrassed (她感到害臊).
  • Don't be shy, come join us (别害臊, 过来加入我们).
  • The mutton has a strong odor (羊肉很膻臊).

Collocations

  • gamey smell(臊味)
  • feel shy(害臊)
  • rank odor(腥臊)
  • bashful expression(臊得脸红)
  • meat smell(肉臊)
  • eliminate odor(去臊)

Idioms

  • Too embarrassed to show one's face(没羞没臊)
  • Blushing with shame(羞臊难当)
  • Thick-skinned and shameless(不知羞臊)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culinary culture, 'sāo' refers specifically to the gamey smell of meat, particularly pork and mutton.
  • The character carries strong negative connotations when referring to body odor or unpleasant smells.
  • In social contexts, 'sào' represents the cultural value of modesty and proper social conduct.

FAQ