甜
tián
The Chinese word for sweet is 甜 (tián).
The primary use of 甜 is to describe a pleasant taste. It can also be used metaphorically to describe a sweet life (生活很甜) or a sweet dream (甜美的梦). Beyond taste, it can describe a pleasant, sweet scent (香甜). If you are describing something aesthetically sweet, such as a voice or a smile, the compound 甜美 is often used. To say something is very sweet when describing food, you can use 很甜.
Meaning: having a pleasant taste (adj)
Which one should you use?
While 甜 refers to the sensory taste of sweetness, the compound 甜美 is used for things that are aesthetically sweet. The term 香甜 specifically brings the pleasant scent into the description.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwanese Hokkien, the informal expression 甜甜 (tiâm-tiâm) is used to say sweet.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 甜 as an adjective to describe a noun's quality in a sentence, it is often used in the form 甜的.
How do you pronounce it?
tián
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese medicine, the taste 甜 (sweet) is associated with the spleen and is believed to have a calming effect on the mind.
- The word 甜 is often used in the expression 甜言蜜语, which literally means 'sweet words and honeyed speech' to describe flattery.
- The character 甜 is a visual puzzle combining the symbols for 'tongue' and 'sweet'. It literally depicts the sensation of sweetness on the tongue.
Examples in context
- 甘蔗是甜的。Sugar cane is sweet.This sentence shows how to use 甜 to describe the taste of sugar cane.Tatoeba #13189731 by LeviHighway, translation #13189645 by ecorralest101
- 這花聞著香甜。This flower smells sweet.This sentence uses 甜 to describe a pleasant scent of a flower.Tatoeba #5569544 by verdastelo9604, translation #60059 by ddnktr
- 這顆蘋果很甜。This apple is sweet.This sentence uses 甜 to describe the taste of an apple.Tatoeba #13167245 by LeviHighway, translation #60349 by CK
- 这块巧克力很甜。This piece of chocolate is very sweet.
- 他们的爱情很甜蜜。Their love is very sweet.
- 她常常用甜言蜜语讨好别人。She often uses sweet words to please others.
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man and a woman are sharing a dessert in a cafe.
- 梓涵 Zihan這個蛋糕很甜。Zhège dàngāo hěn tián.This cake is very sweet.
- 伟 Wei妳喜歡嗎？Nǐ xǐhuān ma?Do you like it?
- 梓涵 Zihan我很喜歡。Wǒ hěn xǐhuān.I like it a lot.
- 伟 Wei那太好了。Nà tài hǎole.That's great.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sweet” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 甜, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
