美味

• Pinyin: měi wèi
• Hanzi breakdown: 美 = 羊 + 大 — beautiful, good; 味 = 口 (mouth) + 未 — taste, flavour

Meaning

Delicious; a delicacy; something that tastes wonderful.

Can function as an adjective (美味的菜肴 — delicious dishes) or a noun (各种美味 — all kinds of delicacies). Widely used in food writing, restaurant reviews, and everyday conversation about eating. Implies a higher register than 好吃.

Examples

1. 这道红烧肉色泽红亮，入口即化，是这家老字号餐厅最受食客追捧的美味之一。 This braised pork belly is glossy and tender enough to melt in your mouth—one of the signature dishes that diners line up for at this old, famous restaurant.
2. 每逢节假日，母亲总会亲手烹制一桌丰盛的美味，让全家人围坐在一起共享天伦之乐。 On holidays, Mom always cooks a lavish spread of delicious food herself so the whole family can sit together and enjoy time as a family.
3. 旅行的一大乐趣是探寻当地特色美味，品尝那些只有在本地才能尝到的独特风味。 One of the great joys of traveling is seeking out local specialties and tasting unique flavors you can only find there.

Usage Guide

Context: food, dining, travel, culture

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 这座城市以其街头美食闻名，随处可见充满地方特色的美味小吃，令游客流连忘返。(This city is famous for its street food — local delicacies with distinctive regional character can be found everywhere, keeping visitors lingering long after they planned to leave.)
• 厨师将新鲜食材与传统烹饪技艺相结合，端出了一道道令人赞不绝口的美味佳肴。(The chef combined fresh ingredients with traditional cooking techniques to produce dish after dish of delicious food that drew nothing but praise from the diners.)

Don't Say

• 用'美味'描述非食物类事物，如音乐或景色 — 美味专指味觉上的愉悦，描述听觉或视觉享受应用'美妙''美景'等词 (Do not use 美味 to describe non-food experiences such as music or scenery — 美味 refers specifically to gustatory pleasure; use 美妙 or 美景 for auditory or visual delight)

Origin & History

美 (good, beautiful) + 味 (taste, flavour). Together meaning a good taste or delicious flavour.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal