xīng

fishy (smell)

flesh (⺼) + star sound (星) = fishy smell

The flesh radical anchors the meaning: raw meat carries that unmistakable smell. 星 lends the sound xīng and has no semantic role here.

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FleshSemantic
StarPhonetic

这条鱼的味很重。

zhè tiáo yú de xīng wèi hěn zhòng。

This fish has a very strong fishy smell.

她不喜欢吃海鲜,因为味让她不舒服。

tā bù xǐ huān chī hǎi xiān,yīn wèi xīng wèi ràng tā bù shū fú。

She doesn't like eating seafood because the fishy smell makes her uncomfortable.

Words with 腥

鱼腥草

yú xīng cǎo

chameleon plant; fish mint (Houttuynia cordata)

偷腥

tōu xīng

to cheat on one's spouse

土腥

tǔ xīng

(of a taste or smell) earthy

腥臭

xīng chòu

fishy and smelly

腥风血雨

xīng fēng xuè yǔ

lit. foul wind and bloody rain (idiom)

臊腥

sāo xīng

stench; stink

荤腥

hūn xīng

meat and fish

血腥

xuè xīng

reeking of blood

血腥玛丽

xuè xīng mǎ lì

Bloody Mary

More characters with ⺼