嗅 覚(きゅうかく)

きゅうかく

noun

sense of smell

1. sense of smell; olfaction

The ability to perceive odors through the nose. One of the five senses.

犬(いぬ)は嗅覚(きゅうかく)が非常(ひじょう)に発達(はったつ)している。

Dogs have a highly developed sense of smell.

風邪(かぜ)をひいて嗅覚(きゅうかく)が鈍(にぶ)くなった。

I caught a cold and my sense of smell became dull.

嗅覚(きゅうかく)で食(た)べ物(もの)の新鮮(しんせん)さが分(わ)かる。

You can tell the freshness of food by smell.

年(とし)を取(と)ると嗅覚(きゅうかく)が衰(おとろ)えることがある。

As you get older, your sense of smell may decline.

警察犬(けいさつけん)は優(すぐ)れた嗅覚(きゅうかく)を活(い)かして、行方不明者(ゆくえふめいしゃ)の捜索(そうさく)にも活躍(かつやく)している。

Police dogs use their excellent sense of smell and play an active role in searching for missing persons.

嗅覚(きゅうかく) refers to the sense of smell.

The five senses (五感(ごかん)):

視覚(しかく) (sight)
聴覚(ちょうかく) (hearing)
嗅覚(きゅうかく) (smell)
味覚(みかく) (taste)
触覚(しょっかく) (touch)

Common expressions

嗅覚(きゅうかく)が鋭(するど)い (to have a keen sense of smell)
嗅覚(きゅうかく)が鈍(にぶ)い (to have a dull sense of smell)
嗅覚(きゅうかく)障害(しょうがい) (olfactory dysfunction)
嗅覚(きゅうかく)を失(うしな)う (to lose one's sense of smell)

Note

Loss of 嗅覚(きゅうかく) was recognized as a COVID-19 symptom and brought attention to this often-overlooked sense. The Japanese word for smell as a noun is 匂(にお)い/臭(にお)い, while 嗅覚(きゅうかく) refers specifically to the sensory ability.

Related Words

Related: 味覚(みかく) (sense of taste)

Related: 触覚(しょっかく) (sense of touch)

Compare: アンテナ (antenna)

Related: 感覚(かんかく) (sense, sensation, feeling)

Related: 視覚(しかく) (sight, vision, visual sense)

Related: 聴力(ちょうりょく) (hearing, hearing ability)

Related: 五感(ごかん) (the five senses)

core

Added 2026.1.14 20:02 · Revised 2026.10.7 4:24

04000/04422_kyuukaku