verbs/nouns...with suru...

[Tomii515]

quick question...

nioi = n. smell

kagu = (to) sniff/smell

in my dictionary...it say for the verb form:

nioi (ga) suru

but i also know it's kagu...can it be either?

 

[Elizabeth]

quick question...
nioi = n. smell
kagu = (to) sniff/smell
in my dictionary...it say for the verb form:
nioi (ga) suru
but i also know it's kagu...can it be either?

Kagu is the verb "to smell" or "to sniff."
Nioi (ga suru) means "giving out a smell" or "having a particular odor."

バラの匂い（におい）を嗅ぐ（かぐ）のが大嫌いです。
このバラ、ひどい匂い(臭い)がするよ！

分かりましたか？

 

[Tomii515]

how come nexdt to smell it doesnt just say kagu??/i have to look of kagu to find it...

 

[Tomii515]

and also nioi o kagu....rawr...

 

[Mike Cash]

how come nexdt to smell it doesnt just say kagu??/i have to look of kagu to find it...

Crappy dictionary.

And even in English, just having the word "smell" in isolation, there is no way of knowing if it is a noun or a verb.

 

[Tomii515]

Crappy dictionary.
And even in English, just having the word "smell" in isolation, there is no way of knowing if it is a noun or a verb.

It is not a crappy dictionary! It says kagu, but the only way of knowing it's a verb it to look it up in the japanese - english section

 

[Mike Cash]

If it doesn't indicate the part of speech next to the entry and make it usage abundantly clear, it is a crappy dictionary.

A very long time ago, I had one that for the English word "order" listed the following (going from memory here):

命令 （めいれい）
注文 （ちゅうもん）
順番 （じゅんばん）

with absolutely no indication of the extremely different meanings they have in Japanese.

Similar thing for the word "battery". They listed the Japanese words for "electrical battery", "artillery battery", and "butt whipping" with no indication of the differences.