薫る
かおる
godan verb
to give off a pleasant fragrance; to be redolent
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 薫る | 薫らない |
| Present polite | 薫ります | 薫りません |
| Past | 薫った | 薫らなかった |
| Past polite | 薫りました | 薫りませんでした |
| て form | 薫って | 薫らなくて |
| ている present | 薫っている | 薫っていない |
| ている polite | 薫っています | 薫っていません |
| ている past | 薫っていた | 薫っていなかった |
| ている past polite | 薫っていました | 薫っていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 薫れば | 薫らなければ |
| Conditional たら | 薫ったら | 薫らなかったら |
| Volitional | 薫ろう | — |
| Volitional polite | 薫りましょう | — |
| Potential | 薫れる | 薫れない |
| Passive | 薫られる | 薫られない |
| Causative | 薫らせる | 薫らせない |
| Imperative | 薫れ | 薫るな |
1.
to give off a pleasant fragrance; to be fragrant
To emit an agreeable scent or aroma. A more literary and elevated word than 香る, often used to evoke refined or atmospheric fragrance.
花が薫る季節だ。
It's the season when the flowers are fragrant.
風に薫る梅の香りが心地よい。
The plum blossom fragrance carried on the breeze is pleasant.
新緑が薫る五月の朝は、散歩するのに最高だ。
A May morning fragrant with fresh greenery is perfect for a walk.
A godan verb (る row) that is a literary variant of 香る. While both mean "to be fragrant," 薫る has a more refined, evocative quality. It is especially associated with classical poetry and seasonal writing.
KANJI NOTE:
The kanji 薫 suggests a warm, enveloping fragrance (related to smoking or incense), while 香 is the more general character for scent. In modern usage, 薫る tends to appear in literary or poetic contexts.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 風薫る五月 — fragrant-breeze May (a classic seasonal expression)
- 緑が薫る — the greenery is fragrant
- 花が薫る — the flowers are fragrant
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 香る — to be fragrant; the standard form, used more broadly in everyday contexts
- 匂う — to smell; neutral as to whether the scent is pleasant or unpleasant, while 薫る always implies a pleasant fragrance