- kabikusai smelling of mold, musty, putrid; old-fashioned, stale, hackneyed, worn-out
Used informally to describe a musty smell or, figuratively, something outdated or stale, common in everyday conversation.
この部屋はカビ臭い。
Kono heya wa kabikusai.
This room smells musty.
そのアイデアはカビ臭いね。
Sono aidea wa kabikusai ne.
That idea is stale, isn't it?
⚖️ Often confused with 'kabi' (mold) alone, but 'kabikusai' is a compound adjective meaning 'smelling of mold'.
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💡 Drop い to get the stem: add くない (negative), かった (past), くて (te-form).
Found in a wide range of contexts. Useful for building reading and listening fluency.
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