匂わせる

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 匂わせる is read as におわせる and is a transitive verb meaning either to give off a scent or to hint at a possibility or intention without stating it directly.
• Basic usage: Hinting at a possibility appears in 転職の可能性を匂わせる, while giving off a fragrance appears in 香水を匂わせる.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Two senses: scent and implication
  • The physical sense makes a smell faintly noticeable, while the figurative sense lets others infer information that remains unstated.
• Difference from 示す
  • 示す generally means to show or indicate something, whereas 匂わせる conveys it indirectly without making it explicit.