Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 味道 | wèidao | /weɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ tɑʊ̯⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /weɪ̯⁵¹ d̥ɑʊ̯¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) |
| 味兒 / 味儿 | wèir | |
| 氣味 / 气味 | qìwèi |
味道 is used in daily conversation to describe how something smells or tastes. Beyond physical sensations, it is frequently used metaphorically to describe the 'flavor' or 'character' of a certain style, period or atmosphere. When you want to be more specific about the quality of a scent, you might use 香味 to emphasize a pleasant fragrance or aroma or 臭味 to refer specifically to unpleasant or foul smells. The term 气味 is used to describe a scent or odor in a more neutral or technical sense.
What does it mean word for word?
味道 is composed of 味 (taste/flavor) and 道 (path/way/kind), literally meaning 'the kind of taste or smell'.
Which one should you use?
味道 can refer to both a physical smell and a culinary flavor. In contrast, 气味 is strictly used for an olfactory sensation (scent or odor) and is considered more neutral or technical. For the biological ability to perceive odors, the formal term 嗅觉 is used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
气味 is more neutral and technical, while 香味 (fragrance) and 臭味 (foul smell) are used to specify the pleasantness or unpleasantness of the sensation. The term 嗅觉 is the most general and formal way to talk about the sense of smell as a biological ability.
Is it said differently in some regions?
味儿 is a colloquial, northern-inflected version of 味道 often used in spoken Mandarin. The form видо is used in Dungan.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
wèidao
Did you know?
- The Dungan language uses the form видо, which is a fascinating linguistic hybrid because it uses the Cyrillic alphabet to write a language based on Chinese.
- In Chinese, describing a person as having a certain 味道 can be a high compliment regarding their sophistication or 'aura', regardless of their actual physical scent.
- While 味道 covers both smell and taste, the word 气 in 气味 refers to 'air' or 'vital energy', linking the sense of smell to the very breath of life.
Examples in context
- 你聞到烤焦麵包的味道了嗎？Do you smell burnt toast?This sentence shows how to use 味道 to ask about a specific scent.Tatoeba #13524056 by LeviHighway, translation #12629392 by rul
- 我之前在哪里闻到过这个味道。I've smelled this smell somewhere before.This sentence demonstrates using 味道 to describe a previously encountered smell.Tatoeba #13994836 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #2360314 by CK
- 虽然我讨厌雨，但是我喜欢下雨的味道。I hate rain, but I love its smell.This sentence illustrates expressing a preference for a specific scent using 味道.Tatoeba #8765195 by crescat, translation #2698667 by WestofEden
- 这种花有一种独特的香味。This flower has a unique fragrance.
- 我的嗅觉很敏锐。My sense of smell is very sensitive.
- 这个菜闻起来好香！This dish smells so delicious!
- 我闻到了一股奇怪的味道。I smelled a strange smell.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yuting and Haoran are in the kitchen.
- 雨婷 Yuting这个汤的味道很不错。Zhège tāng de wèidào hěn bùcuò.The smell of this soup is very good.
- 浩然 Haoran你觉得味道太淡了吗？Nǐ juéde wèidào tài dàn le ma?Do you think the smell is too light?
- 雨婷 Yuting不，味道刚刚好。Bù, wèidào gānggāng hǎo.No, the smell is just right.
- 浩然 Haoran太好了，谢谢你，雨婷。Tài hǎo le, xièxie nǐ, Yǔtíng.Great, thank you, Yuting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “smell” translations and entries 味道, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
