味道

• Pinyin: wèi dào
• Hanzi breakdown: 味 = 口 (mouth) + 未 (not yet, phonetic) — taste; 道 = 辶 (walk) + 首 (head) — way, path

Meaning

Taste; flavour; smell. The quality perceived by the senses of taste or smell.

Can refer to both taste (of food and drink) and smell (pleasant or unpleasant). Common adjectives include 好 (good), 不好 (bad), 奇怪 (strange), and 特别 (special). Also used figuratively to mean the feel or atmosphere of something.

Examples

1. 这个菜的味道很好。 This dish tastes very good.
2. 你闻到什么味道了吗？ Can you smell anything?
3. 妈妈做的饭味道最好。 The food Mom makes tastes the best.

Usage Guide

Context: food, cooking, everyday, description

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这个汤的味道不错。(This soup tastes pretty good.)
• 什么味道？好香啊！(What's that smell? It smells great!)

Don't Say

• 味道很高 (Don't use 高 with 味道 — use 好/不好/浓/淡 to describe taste; 高 is for height, temperature, or price)

Origin & History

味 (wèi, taste) + 道 (dào, way/path). The 'way' or quality of a flavour.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal