1.
sense of smell; olfaction
The ability to perceive odors through the nose. One of the five senses.
犬は嗅覚が非常に発達している。
Dogs have a highly developed sense of smell.
風邪をひいて嗅覚が鈍くなった。
I caught a cold and my sense of smell became dull.
嗅覚で食べ物の新鮮さが分かる。
You can tell the freshness of food by smell.
年を取ると嗅覚が衰えることがある。
As you get older, your sense of smell may decline.
警察犬は優れた嗅覚を活かして、行方不明者の捜索にも活躍している。
Police dogs use their excellent sense of smell and play an active role in searching for missing persons.
嗅覚 refers to the sense of smell.
The five senses (五感):
- 視覚 (sight)
- 聴覚 (hearing)
- 嗅覚 (smell)
- 味覚 (taste)
- 触覚 (touch)
Common expressions:
- 嗅覚が鋭い (to have a keen sense of smell)
- 嗅覚が鈍い (to have a dull sense of smell)
- 嗅覚障害 (olfactory dysfunction)
- 嗅覚を失う (to lose one's sense of smell)
Note:
Loss of 嗅覚 was recognized as a COVID-19 symptom and brought attention to this often-overlooked sense. The Japanese word for smell as a noun is 匂い/臭い, while 嗅覚 refers specifically to the sensory ability.