Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Having a strong, unpleasant, and offensive smell, often specifically of rotting fish or decaying organic matter: "tanh hôi" describes a stench that is both fishy and putrid, typically causing disgust.
   • Foul-smelling, rank: It can also refer more generally to a very bad, offensive odor.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Thùng rác này tanh hôi quá. (This trash can is so stinking.)
  • Mùi cá ươn tanh hôi cả căn bếp. (The smell of spoiled fish made the whole kitchen stinking.)
  • Sau trận lũ, bùn đất để lại mùi tanh hôi khó chịu. (After the flood, the mud left a stinking, unpleasant odor.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe an atmosphere or situation metaphorically as corrupt or morally foul:
  • Vụ án tham nhũng đó vẫn còn tanh hôi trong ký ức dân chúng. (That corruption case still stinks in the public's memory.)
• Often used in its reduplicated form for emphasis: "tanh hôi hám hốc":
  • Cống nước thải bị tắc, bốc mùi tanh hôi hám hốc. (The sewer is clogged, emitting a terribly stinking smell.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tanh (adj): Fishy; having the characteristic smell of fish or seafood.
  • Cá sống có mùi tanh. (Raw fish has a fishy smell.)
• Hôi (adj): Smelly, stinking, foul-smelling.
  • Mồ hôi hôi. (Sweat is smelly.)
• Hôi tanh (adj): A common alternative word order with the same meaning as "tanh hôi".
  • Mùi hôi tanh của rác. (The stinking smell of garbage.)

Synonyms

• Thối (adj): Rotten, putrid.
• Hôi thối (adj): Reeking, putrid (often stronger than "tanh hôi").
• Nồng nặc (adj): Pungent, strong and unpleasant (often for smell).

Related Phrases / Idioms

• Tanh hôi như cá ươn: As stinking as spoiled fish (used to emphasize a very bad smell).
  • Căn phòng ẩm mốc tanh hôi như cá ươn. (The damp room was as stinking as spoiled fish.)
• Để lại mùi tanh hôi: To leave a stinking smell/legacy (used figuratively for a scandal).
  • Vụ lừa đảo để lại mùi tanh hôi cho ngành ngân hàng. (The fraud scandal left a stinking legacy for the banking sector.)

adj

1. stinking