味 (wèi) - taste, flavor, smell & interest, significance

味Tone 4

wèi ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 口

万响

味 · wèi

taste, flavor, smell;

interest, significance;

to taste, to smell

taste, flavor, smellinterest, significanceto taste, to smell

Usage highlights

taste/flavorflavorinterest/funtaste experiencesmell/odordelicious taste

Synonyms

  • 味道— taste, flavor
  • 滋味— taste, flavor (especially of food)
  • 口味— taste, flavor preference

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This dish has a delicious taste (味道).
  • I like the flavor of strawberries (草莓味).
  • Life is full of interesting experiences (人生百味).
  • Can you taste the difference?(你能尝出味道的不同吗?)

Collocations

  • taste/flavor(味道)
  • flavor(口味)
  • interest/fun(趣味)
  • taste experience(品味)
  • smell/odor(气味)
  • delicious taste(美味)

Idioms

  • Tasteless and insipid(索然无味)
  • Delicious and tasty(津津有味)
  • The mountain delicacies and sea food(山珍海味)
  • Tasteless as chewing wax(味同嚼蜡)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese philosophy, five basic tastes correspond to five elements: sour (wood), bitter (fire), sweet (earth), spicy (metal), salty (water).
  • Used metaphorically for life experiences, as in 'the hundred flavors of life' (人生百味).
  • Important in traditional Chinese medicine for diagnosing health conditions through taste perception.

FAQ