味

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See also: 昧
味 U+5473, 味
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5473
← 呲
 		CJK Unified Ideographs 呴 →

Translingual

Stroke order
8 strokes

Han character

味 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 口十木 (RJD), four-corner 65090, composition ⿰口未)

Derived characters

References

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 182, character 13
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3456
  • Dae Jaweon: page 401, character 14
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 597, character 6
  • Unihan data for U+5473

Chinese

simp. and trad.
 味

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (未) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
寐 *mids
魅 *mrɯds
鬽 *mrɯds
昧 *mɯːds
妹 *mɯːds
眛 *maːds, *mɯːds
沬 *maːds, *hmɯːds, *mɯds
未 *mɯds
味 *mɯds
鮇 *mɯds
菋 *mɯds

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *mɯds) : semantic 口 (“mouth”) + phonetic 未 (OC *mɯds).

Etymology

Schuessler (2007) compared this word with Proto-Monic *[ʔ]məp (“good tasting, have a pleasant flavour, be pleasant”) > Mon မိပ် (mìp, “to be happy, to enjoy”). Unger (1992) connects this with Tibetan བྲོད (brod) (< བྲོ (bro, “to taste”)). Also compare Korean 맛 (mat, “taste”), 멋 (meot, “taste; charm”).

Pronunciation

Note: mei6-2 - classifier.
Note:
  • ê - taste, smell, food;
  • mê - (figurative) taste, fun, interest.
Note:
  • 3mi - colloquial;
  • 3vi - literary.
  • Dialectal data
Variety Location 味
Mandarin Beijing /uei⁵¹/
Harbin /uei⁵³/
Tianjin /vei⁵³/
Jinan /vei²¹/
Qingdao /ve⁴²/
Zhengzhou /uei³¹²/
Xi'an /vi⁴⁴/
Xining /uɨ²¹³/
Yinchuan /vei¹³/
Lanzhou /vei¹³/
Ürümqi /vei²¹³/
Wuhan /uei³⁵/
Chengdu /uei¹³/
Guiyang /uei²¹³/
Kunming /uei²¹²/
Nanjing /uəi⁴⁴/
Hefei /ue⁵³/
Jin Taiyuan /vei⁴⁵/
Pingyao /uei³⁵/
Hohhot /vei⁵⁵/
Wu Shanghai /mi²³/
/vi²³/
Suzhou /vi³¹/
/mi³¹/
Hangzhou /vi¹³/
Wenzhou /mei²²/
Hui Shexian /ue²²/
Tunxi /ue¹¹/
Xiang Changsha /uei⁵⁵/
/uei¹¹/
Xiangtan /uəi²¹/
Gan Nanchang /ui²¹/
Hakka Meixian /mi⁵³/
Taoyuan /mui⁵⁵/
Cantonese Guangzhou /mei²²/
Nanning /mi²²/
Hong Kong /mei²²/
Min Xiamen (Hokkien) /bi²²/
Fuzhou (Eastern Min) /ɛi²⁴²/
Jian'ou (Northern Min) /mi⁴⁴/
Shantou (Teochew) /bi³¹/
Haikou (Hainanese) /vi²³/
Rime
Character 味
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 明 (4)
Final (韻) 微 (21)
Tone (調) Departing (H)
Openness (開合) Closed
Division (等) III
Fanqie 無沸切
Baxter mj+jH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/mʉiH/
Pan
Wuyun 		/mʷɨiH/
Shao
Rongfen 		/miuəiH/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/mujH/
Li
Rong 		/miuəiH/
Wang
Li 		/mĭwəiH/
Bernard
Karlgren 		/mwe̯iH/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		wèi
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		mei6
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 味
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		wèi
Middle
Chinese 		‹ mjɨjH ›
Old
Chinese 		/*mt-s/
English taste (n.)

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 味
Reading # 1/1
No. 12918
Phonetic
component 		未
Rime
group 		隊
Rime
subdivision 		1
Corresponding
MC rime 		未
Old
Chinese 		/*mɯds/

Definitions

味

  1. taste; flavor
  2. smell; odor (Classifier: 股 m; 𠹻 c)
    點解你間房好似有𠹻味嘅？ [Cantonese, trad.]
    点解你间房好似有𠹻味嘅？ [Cantonese, simp.]
    dim2 gaai2 nei5 gaan1 fong4-2 hou2 ci5 jau5 zam6 mei6 ge3?
    Why does your room seem like there is some smell?
  3. food
    海味  ―  hǎiwèi  ―  seafood
  4. to taste; to reflect on; to experience
    品味  ―  pǐnwèi  ―  to taste; to appreciate
  5. interest; fun; taste
    意味  ―  yìwèi  ―  meaning
    趣味  ―  qùwèi  ―  fun; taste
  6. Classifier for ingredients of a Chinese medicine prescription.
  7. Classifier for dishes.
    今日味味餸都啱嗮我胃口。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    今日味味𩠌都啱嗮我胃口。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    gam1 jat6 mei6 mei6 sung3 dou1 ngaam1 saai3 ngo5 wai6 hau2.
    Every dish here today is my kind of food.
    一魚幾味／一鱼几味 [Cantonese]  ―  jat1 jyu4 gei2 mei6-2   ―  one fish, several dishes
  8. (Cantonese) Classifier for things: kind; sort
    呢味嘢太惡搞喇。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    呢味嘢太恶搞喇。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    ni1 mei6-2 je5 taai3 ok3 gaau2 laa3.
    This kind of stuff is too hard to handle.
    原來你中意嗰味嘢嘅。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    原来你中意嗰味嘢嘅。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    jyun4 loi4 nei5 zung1 ji3 go2 mei6-2 je5 ge3.
    So you like that kind of stuff.
  9. (particle physics) flavor

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 味道 (“taste; flavour”)
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 味
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 滋味, 味道, 風味, 口味
Mandarin Beijing 味兒
Taiwan 味道, 味
Jinan 味兒
Xi'an 味道
Wuhan 味口, 味
Chengdu 味道
Guilin 味道
Yangzhou 味道
Hefei 味道
Singapore 味道, 味
Cantonese Guangzhou 味道, 味
Hong Kong 味道, 味
Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou) 味道
Yangjiang 味
Singapore (Guangfu) 味道, 味
Gan Nanchang 味道
Hakka Meixian 味道
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 味緒, 味道
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 味緒, 味道
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 味緒, 味道
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 味緒, 味道
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 味緒, 味道
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 味素, 味緒, 味道
Hong Kong 味
Singkawang 味
Jin Taiyuan 味兒, 味道
Northern Min Jian'ou 味道
Eastern Min Fuzhou 味
Southern Min Xiamen 味, 味素
Quanzhou 味, 味素
Zhangzhou 味, 味素
Penang (Hokkien) 味素
Singapore (Hokkien) 味素, 味
Manila (Hokkien) 味, 味素
Chaozhou 味素, 味道, 味
Jieyang 味, 味素
Wu Shanghai 吃口
Suzhou 味道
Wenzhou 味道
Xiang Changsha 味道
Shuangfeng 味道
Dialectal synonyms of 氣味 (“smell; odour”)
Variety Location Words
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 氣息, 臭味, 氣
Mandarin Beijing 味兒
Taiwan 味
Jinan 味兒
Xi'an 味兒, 味氣
Wuhan 氣味, 氣色
Chengdu 氣氣, 味道
Yangzhou 味道
Hefei 味道, 氣味
Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan) 味味子, 味味兒
Cantonese Guangzhou 味, 𡃴
Hong Kong 味, 𡃴
Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou) 𡃴
Yangjiang 味, 𡃴
Gan Nanchang 氣味
Hakka Meixian 味道, 氣味
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 味道, 氣味
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 味道, 氣味
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 味道, 氣味
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 味道, 氣味
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 味道, 氣味
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 味道, 氣味
Hong Kong 味
Jin Taiyuan 味氣
Northern Min Jian'ou 味道, 氣色
Eastern Min Fuzhou 味
Southern Min Xiamen 味, 味素
Quanzhou 味, 味素
Zhangzhou 味
Singapore (Hokkien) 味, 味素, 峇羽
Manila (Hokkien) 味, 味素
Chaozhou 味, 味素, 羶, 氣味
Wu Suzhou 味道, 氣味
Wenzhou 氣道
Xiang Changsha 氣色, 味道, 氣味
Shuangfeng 氣色, 氣

Compounds

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (味):
  • → Japanese: 味(み) (mi)
  • → Korean: 미(味) (mi)
  • → Vietnamese: vị (味)

Others:

  • → Proto-Hmong-Mien: *hmeiᴴ (“taste; to try”)
  • → Vietnamese: mùi (“smell”)

References

Japanese

Kanji

味

(grade 3 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

Compounds

Compounds

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
味
あじ
Grade: 3
kun’yomi

/adi/ → /ad͡ʑi/ → /aʑi/

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *anti.

Pronunciation

Adjective

味(あじ) • (aji) ←あぢ (adi)?-na (adnominal 味(あじ)な (aji na), adverbial 味(あじ)に (aji ni))

  1. clever, smart, witty
  2. mysterious, strange
Inflection
Inflection of 味
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形) 味だろ あじだろ aji daro
Continuative (連用形) 味で あじで aji de
Terminal (終止形) 味だ あじだ aji da
Attributive (連体形) 味な あじな aji na
Hypothetical (仮定形) 味なら あじなら aji nara
Imperative (命令形) 味であれ あじであれ aji de are
Key constructions
Informal negative 味ではない
味じゃない 		あじではない
あじじゃない 		aji de wa nai
aji ja nai
Informal past 味だった あじだった aji datta
Informal negative past 味ではなかった
味じゃなかった 		あじではなかった
あじじゃなかった 		aji de wa nakatta
aji ja nakatta
Formal 味です あじです aji desu
Formal negative 味ではありません
味じゃありません 		あじではありません
あじじゃありません 		aji de wa arimasen
aji ja arimasen
Formal past 味でした あじでした aji deshita
Formal negative past 味ではありませんでした
味じゃありませんでした 		あじではありませんでした
あじじゃありませんでした 		aji de wa arimasen deshita
aji ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive 味で あじで aji de
Conditional 味なら（ば） あじなら（ば） aji nara (ba)
Provisional 味だったら あじだったら aji dattara
Volitional 味だろう あじだろう aji darō
Adverbial 味に あじに aji ni
Degree 味さ あじさ ajisa
Classical conjugation of "味なり" (ナリ活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形) 味なら あぢなら adinara
Continuative (連用形) 味に
味なり		 あぢに
あぢなり		 adini
adinari
Terminal (終止形) 味なり あぢなり adinari
Attributive (連体形) 味なる あぢなる adinaru
Realis (已然形) 味なれ あぢなれ adinare
Imperative (命令形) 味なれ あぢなれ adinare
Key constructions
Negative 味ならず あぢならず adinarazu
Contrasting conjunction 味なれど あぢなれど adinaredo
Causal conjunction 味なれば あぢなれば adinareba
Conditional conjunction 味ならば あぢならば adinaraba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge) 味なりき あぢなりき adinariki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge) 味なりけり あぢなりけり adinarikeri
Adverbial 味に あぢに adini
Without auxiliary verb.
With auxiliary verb.

Noun

味(あじ) • (aji) ←あぢ (adi)?

  1. a flavour (UK)/flavor (US), taste
    Synonym: 味覚 (mikaku)
    • 2006 April 9, Nobuhiro Watsuki, “武(ブ)装(ソウ)錬(レン)金(キン)ピリオド”, in 武(ブ)装(ソウ)錬(レン)金(キン) (武(ブ)装(ソウ)錬(レン)金(キン)), volume 10, Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN:
      食(た)べる？ママの味(あじ)　正(せい)確(かく)にはママの出(で)来(き)損(そこ)ないの成(な)れの果(は)ての味(あじ)
      Taberu? Mama no aji Seikaku ni wa mama no dekisokonai no nare no hate no aji
      You want some? It has my mom’s taste. Well, actually it has the taste of my failed attempts at cloning her taste.
  2. feeling, sensation
    Synonym: 感触 (kanshoku)
  3. experience, taste
    Synonym: 味わい (ajiwai)
  4. charm
  5. (go) aji, the ‘flavour’ or lingering possibilities of a position
    味(あじ)が悪(わる)い
    aji ga warui
    there is bad aji
    (literally, “the flavour is bad”)
  6. (go) bad aji, a lingering weakness in a position
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
味
み
Grade: 3
goon

From Middle Chinese 味 (MC mj+jH).

Also used in Old Japanese as 借音 (shakuon) kana for ⟨mi2⟩.

Affix

味(み) • (mi) 

  1. flavor, taste
  2. tasting, savoring
  3. taste, savor
  4. Alternative spelling of 身 (mi): body part
Derived terms

Noun

味(み) • (mi) 

  1. a flavour (UK)/flavor (US), taste
    Synonym: 味覚 (mikaku)
Derived terms

Counter

味(み) • (-mi) 

  1. counter for kinds of food, drink, medicine, etc.

Suffix

For pronunciation and definitions of 味 – see the following entry.
【み】H
味: (after an i-adjective stem) -ness; used for subjective "quality" of being, as opposed to suffix さ (sa), also translated as -ness, used for objective "degree" of being
(This term, 味, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)
Derived terms
Derived terms

References

  1. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Middle Korean readings, if any”)

Pronunciation

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

Wikisource

味 (eumhun 맛 미 (mat mi))

  1. Hanja form? of 미 (“taste”).

Compounds

Old Japanese

Etymology 1

From Proto-Japonic *anti. Compare Mongolian амт (amt, “taste”) and Manchu ᠠᠮᡨᠠᠨ (amtan, “flavor, taste”); possibly a nativized loanword from a substrate language.

Noun

味 (adi) (kana あぢ)

  1. flavor, flavour
Derived terms
Descendants
  • Japanese: 味 (aji)
See also

Etymology 2

Prefix

味 (uma-) (kana うま)

  1. Alternative spelling of うま (uma-)
Derived terms

Vietnamese

Han character

味: Hán Nôm readings: vị, mùi, mồi

  1. Nôm form of mùi (“smell; scent”).
  2. chữ Hán form of vị (“taste; flavor”).
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