味 (wèi): taste, flavor
味 (wèi) is a Chinese character meaning “taste, flavor.” Classified as HSK Level 4 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 口 (semantic) and 未 (phonetic). It ranks #844 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 味 mouth. Its radical form 口 (mouth) appears in many related characters such as 口 (kǒu, mouth), 叫 (jiào, to call, to be called), 右 (yòu, (bound form) right).
Definitions
- taste, flavor
Etymology & Origin
Stroke Order
Practice writing 味 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 味
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 意味着verb | yì wèi zhe | to signify | 5 |
| 味道noun | wèi dao | flavor | 4 |
| 美味noun | měi wèi | delicious | 5 |
| 口味noun | kǒu wèi | a person's preferences | 5 |
| 气味noun | qì wèi | odor | 6 |
| 趣味noun | qù wèi | fun | 6 |
| 味觉noun | wèi jué | sense of taste | 6 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 意味 | yì wèi | meaning |
| 滋味 | zī wèi | taste |
| 品味 | pǐn wèi | to sample |
| 味儿 | wèi r | taste |
| 乏味 | fá wèi | tedious |
| 香味 | xiāng wèi | fragrance |
| 臭味 | chòu wèi | bad smell |
| 调味 | tiáo wèi | seasoning |
| 风味 | fēng wèi | distinctive flavor |
| 无味 | wú wèi | flavorless |
| 回味 | huí wèi | to call to mind and ponder over |
| 人情味 | rén qíng wèi | human warmth |
| 怪味 | guài wèi | strange odor |
| 火药味 | huǒ yào wèi | smell of gunpowder |
| 酒味 | jiǔ wèi | smell of alcohol |
味 appears in 100 compound words: 12 as the first character, 67 as the last, and 21 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 味 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (10)
to share common bad interests and tastes and get along; to share common interests and aspirations and get along
leaving a rich aftertaste; (figuratively) memorable, lingering in memory
to share common bad interests and tastes and get along; to share common interests and aspirations and get along
leaving a rich aftertaste; (figuratively) memorable, lingering in memory
Example Sentences
这家餐厅的菜味道很正宗，很多食客都是回头客。
Zhè jiā cāntīng de cài wèidào hěn zhèngzōng, hěn duō shíkè dōu shì huítóukè.
The food at this restaurant tastes very authentic, and many diners are repeat customers.
年味上墙!静安这幅“邻里新画卷”,让老小区变...
nián wèi shàng qiáng ! jìng ān zhè fú lín lǐ xīn huà juǎn , ràng lǎo xiǎo qū biàn . . .
New Year's flavor on the wall! Jing'an's "new picture of the neighborhood" has changed the old community to...
“泉”在济南过大年丨烟火年味浓!济南芙蓉街客流持续..
quán zài jì nán guò dà nián 丨 yān huǒ nián wèi nóng ! jì nán 芙 蓉 jiē kè liú chí xù . .
"Spring" celebrates the New Year in Jinan丨Fireworks have a strong New Year's flavor! Jinan Furong Street passenger flow continues:
湖北文旅集团AI守岁人护新春 科技赋能年味浓
hú běi wén lǚ jí tuán shǒu suì rén hù xīn chūn kē jì fù néng nián wèi nóng
Hubei Culture and Tourism Group AI year-keeper to protect the New Year Technology empowers the flavor of the year
年味里飘出就业香 海州乡土人才市集767个岗...
nián wèi lǐ piāo chū jiù yè xiāng hǎi zhōu xiāng tǔ rén cái shì jí gě gāng . . .
The scent of employment wafts through the festive air Haizhou Local Talent Market offers 767 positions...
通讯|荷兰海牙市政厅洋溢浓浓年味儿
tōng xùn hé lán hǎi yá shì zhèng tīng yáng yì nóng nóng nián wèi ér
News | The Hague City Hall Filled with Festive Atmosphere
这是不是意味着你不会来了？
Zhè shìbùshì yìwèizhe nǐ bù huì lái le?
Does that mean you won't come?
你喜欢什么口味的咖啡？浓的黑咖啡？
Nǐ xǐhuan shénme kǒuwèi de kāfēi? Nóng de hēi kāfēi?
How do you like your coffee? Strong and black?
你知道悲伤的滋味么？
Nǐ zhīdào bēishāng de zīwèi me?
Do you know what sadness feels like?
你觉得再加一点盐味道会更好？
Nǐ juéde zài jiā yīdiǎn yán wèidao huì gèng hǎo?
You think adding a little salt will make it taste much better?
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 味 (wèi) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 味 and 妹?
How many strokes does 味 have?
What is the radical of 味?
What are the components of 味?
What are common words containing 味?
What characters sound the same as 味 (wèi)?
Is 味 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 味 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear native pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.