Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Having an unpleasant smell; foul-smelling; stinky: The primary and most common meaning refers to something that emits a bad odor.
   • (Colloquial, figurative) Unpleasant, disagreeable, or offensive to the senses or sensibilities; unseemly: Used to describe behavior, appearance, or a situation that is distasteful, inappropriate, or hard to tolerate.

Usage Examples

• Literal meaning (bad smell):
  • Thùng rác này khó ngửi quá. (This trash can smells terrible.)
  • Có mùi gì khó ngửi trong phòng bếp. (There's a foul smell in the kitchen.)
• Figurative/Colloquial meaning (unpleasant/unseemly):
  • Thái độ của anh ta thật khó ngửi. (His attitude is really unpleasant/offensive.)
  • Cảnh tượng đó trông khó ngửi lắm. (That scene looks very unseemly.)

Advanced Usage

• "khó ngửi" as a predicate adjective: Often follows the verb "có vẻ" (seems) or "trông" (looks) to emphasize the perceived offensiveness.
  • Lời nói của cô ấy nghe khó ngửi. (Her words sound offensive.)
  • Cách cư xử đó có vẻ khó ngửi. (That behavior seems unseemly.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hôi: (adj) Stinky, smelly. More direct and stronger for literal bad smells. (e.g., - stench)
• Khó chịu: (adj) Uncomfortable, unpleasant, irritating. A more general and less colloquial term for something bothersome.
• Kinh tởm: (adj) Disgusting, revolting. Much stronger, implying deep revulsion.

Synonyms

• Hôi thối: (adj) Rotten-smelling, putrid.
• Gớm ghiếc: (adj) Loathsome, abominable (often for figurative use).
• Phản cảm: (adj) Causing a negative aesthetic or moral impression; offensive to sight or feeling.

Related Phrases

• "Ngửi không nổi": Cannot stand the smell; finds it unbearable. An intensified expression.
  • Mùi này tôi ngửi không nổi. (I can't stand this smell.)
• "Mùi khó ngửi": A foul smell; an unpleasant odor.
  • Cống thoát nước bốc lên mùi khó ngửi. (The sewer emits a foul odor.)

Related Idioms

• "Đồ khó ngửi": (Colloquial, derogatory) A "stinky" person; used as an insult to call someone contemptible or despicable.
  • Đừng tin hắn, hắn là đồ khó ngửi. (Don't trust him, he's a despicable character.)

1. (thông tục) Very unseembly
   • Điệu bộ trông khó ngửi lắm
     Such manners are very unseemly