เหม็น
foul-smelling
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 foul-smelling、stinky
This common everyday word describes something that smells unpleasant or gives off a bad odor.
foul-smelling、stinky
Describes a smell or other noun as foul or unpleasant-smelling.
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เขาปากเหม็นมาก khǎw pàak měn mâak He has really bad breath. เขาปากเหม็นมาก details
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มีกลิ่นเหม็นในห้อง mii klìn měn nay hɔ̂ŋ There is a bad smell in the room. มีกลิ่นเหม็นในห้อง details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core idea of เหม็น is an odor that the speaker finds unpleasant. It is commonly used for garbage, spoiled food, drains, smoke, sweat, and bad breath. Thai state words can function directly as predicates, so ห้องน้ำเหม็น means “The bathroom smells bad” without a separate verb meaning “to be.” When it modifies a noun, it follows that noun, as in กลิ่นเหม็น, “a bad smell.” The verb and adjective uses share the same basic meaning; the distinction reflects their grammatical role in the sentence. เหม็นขี้หน้า is an idiom expressing strong dislike of a person rather than an actual smell.
Usage
It is commonly used when noticing a bad smell in a room, checking whether food has spoiled, or talking about body odor, smelly feet, or bad breath. เหม็นอะไร? (“What smells?”) is a natural question when trying to locate the source.
Caution
เหม็น describes smelling bad; it does not mean “to sniff.” Use ดม for deliberately sniffing something and ได้กลิ่น for perceiving a smell. Calling a person เหม็น directly can also sound insulting.
Differences from similar words
1 foul-smelling synonyms
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ฉุน describes a sharp, pungent smell, such as spices, chemicals, or smoke, and is not necessarily rotten. เหม็น is the broader word for any unpleasant smell.