生臭い
なまぐさい · namagusai · JLPT N1 · i-adj
smelling of fish or blood
🐟🩸 生 (raw) + 臭い (smelly) = raw-smelly, the stink of fresh fish or blood
生 (nama) means raw or fresh, and 臭い (kusai) means smelly. Together they describe the strong smell of raw fish or blood, and the word can also refer to fish or meat itself.
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.