味覚

• Reading: みかく
• Romaji: mikaku
• Kanji breakdown: 味 (mi) — taste, flavour; 覚 (kaku) — sense, perception
• Pronunciation: /mi.ka.kɯ/

Meaning

Sense of taste; palate. The gustatory sense that perceives flavours.

A noun referring to the physiological sense of taste. Commonly appears in phrases like 味覚が鈍い (to have a dull palate), 味覚障害 (taste disorder), and 味覚を鍛える (to refine one's palate). Part of the five senses (五感), alongside 視覚, 聴覚, 嗅覚, and 触覚.

Examples

1. 風邪をひいて味覚がほとんどなくなった。 I caught a cold and lost almost all sense of taste.
2. 子供の味覚は大人と違うらしい。 It seems children's sense of taste is different from adults'.
3. 料理人は味覚を常に鍛えておく必要がある。 Chefs need to constantly refine their sense of taste.

Usage Guide

Context: food, health, science, cooking

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 味 (mi, taste/flavour) + 覚 (kaku, sense/perception). Literally 'taste perception,' paralleling other sensory terms like 視覚 (vision) and 聴覚 (hearing).

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal