香(かお)る

かおる
verb, godan
to smell sweet; to be fragrant
1. to be fragrant; to smell sweet
For a pleasant scent to emanate from something. Used for flowers, food, nature, and other sources of agreeable aromas.
梅(うめ)の花(はな)が香(かお)る。
The plum blossoms are fragrant.
焼(や)きたてのパンが香(かお)るキッチン。
A kitchen fragrant with freshly baked bread.
風(かぜ)に乗(の)って金木犀(きんもくせい)の甘(あま)い香(かお)りが香(かお)ってきた。
The sweet scent of osmanthus wafted over on the breeze.

USAGE NOTES:
香(かお)る is an intransitive godan verb used exclusively for pleasant or agreeable scents. For bad smells, use 臭(にお)う instead.

ASPECT (ている):
香(かお)っている describes an ongoing state of being fragrant.

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 匂(にお)う covers a wider range of smells (both pleasant and unpleasant)
  • 香(かお)る is limited to pleasant fragrances and has a more literary or elevated feel

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 花(はな)が香(かお)る (flowers are fragrant)
  • コーヒーが香(かお)る (coffee smells wonderful)
  • 香(かお)り高(たか)い (richly fragrant)

The kanji 香(かお) also appears in the noun 香(かお)り (fragrance, aroma).

general
Added 2026.3.4 13:30
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