生臭い
なまぐさい · namagusai · JLPT N1 · i-adj
smelling of fish or blood
生 — sprout 屮 above earth 土
Originally a pictograph showing a young plant sprouting from the ground, with 屮 (a sprout) above 土 (earth). The core meaning is 'to be born, to grow, to live,' which extends to 'raw, unripe, unfamiliar.' The modern form has simplified the sprout shape but preserves the image of new growth emerging from soil.
臭 — 自 (nose) + 犬 (dog)
Originally a pictograph combining 自 (nose) and 犬 (dog), depicting a dog using its nose to sniff out scents. The early meaning was 'to smell,' later extended to 'odor' and then narrowed to 'foul smell.' The 'smell/sniff' sense was preserved in the later character 嗅.