‘气味’ (qì wèi) literally combines ‘气’ (qì), meaning ‘air’, ‘vapor’, or ‘energy’, and ‘味’ (wèi), meaning ‘taste’ or ‘flavor’. Together, they refer to the sensory impression detected by the nose—what we call ‘smell’ or ‘odor’ in English. Unlike ‘味道’ (wèi dào), which emphasizes taste perceived in the mouth (often with food), ‘气味’ focuses exclusively on olfactory perception and can describe both pleasant and unpleasant scents.

This word is neutral in register and widely used in daily life, scientific contexts, and descriptive writing. You’ll hear it when talking about the scent of flowers, the odor of spoiled food, animal musk, or industrial fumes. It’s also common in health-related discussions—for example, noticing an unusual body odor or hospital smells—and appears frequently in environmental or veterinary contexts when describing how animals detect or emit scents.