Taste in Different Languages
Discover 'Taste' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Taste is a fundamental human experience, encompassing the flavors we savor and the aesthetic preferences we develop. It's a concept that transcends the culinary world, extending to our appreciation of art, fashion, and culture. Understanding the word 'taste' in different languages not only broadens our vocabulary but also offers insights into the cultural nuances of various societies.
For instance, did you know that the French use the term 'goût' to describe both taste in food and their personal sense of style? Or that in Spanish, 'sabor' refers to taste in food, while 'gusto' signifies pleasure or enjoyment? These translations highlight the interconnectedness of taste and enjoyment in these cultures.
Exploring the word 'taste' in different languages also reveals fascinating historical contexts. For example, in ancient China, the imperial court used a complex system of taste categories to evaluate the quality of food. This system was so influential that it still shapes Chinese culinary traditions today.
Join us as we delve into the translations of 'taste' in various languages, from the romantic Italian 'sapore' to the sophisticated Russian 'вкус' (vkus).
Taste
Taste in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | smaak | ||
| The word "smaak" can also refer to a person's appetite or desire for something. | |||
| Amharic | ጣዕም | ||
| In addition to "taste," ጣዕም can also mean "opinion" or "preference". | |||
| Hausa | dandano | ||
| The word 'dandano' also means 'to try' or 'to sample' in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | detụ ire | ||
| Igbo word 'detụ ire' also means 'experience (n.)' or 'to go through (v.)' something, which suggests it derives from 'ịda ụtọ' (to become tasty), implying a process of undergoing and/or experiencing. | |||
| Malagasy | tsiro | ||
| In Proto-Malayo-Polynesian, "tsiro" likely had the meaning of "to feel", which is its meaning in some dialects. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kulawa | ||
| The word "kulawa" also connotes the sense of "knowing" or "experiencing" something through the act of tasting. | |||
| Shona | kuravira | ||
| The verb kuravira means 'to taste' in Shona and is related to the verb kurara ('to smell'). | |||
| Somali | dhadhan | ||
| In Somali, "dhadhan" not only means "taste", but also "experience" or "sensation". | |||
| Sesotho | tatso | ||
| The Sesotho word "tatso" can also mean "smell" or "scent". | |||
| Swahili | ladha | ||
| The Swahili word 'ladha' is ultimately derived from the Proto-Bantu root *-raata, meaning 'to eat'. | |||
| Xhosa | incasa | ||
| In the Xhosa language, the word "incasa" also refers to a person who is a good judge of character or who has a strong understanding of a particular subject. | |||
| Yoruba | itọwo | ||
| The Yoruba word "itọwo" also means "flavor" or "relish." | |||
| Zulu | ukunambitheka | ||
| The word "ukunambitheka" can also mean "to test" or "to try". | |||
| Bambara | ka nɛnɛ | ||
| Ewe | ɖᴐe kpᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | uburyohe | ||
| Lingala | elengi | ||
| Luganda | okuloza | ||
| Sepedi | tatso | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɛdɛ | ||
Taste in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | المذاق | ||
| "مذاق" can also refer to the flavor or quality of something, such as a literary or artistic work, or a person's character. | |||
| Hebrew | טַעַם | ||
| In biblical Hebrew, טַעַם also means "reason" or "sense," as in the phrase "טעם לחיים" (a reason to live). | |||
| Pashto | خوند | ||
| The Pashto word "خوند" not only means "taste" but also refers to "blood" when used in the context of traditional medicine. | |||
| Arabic | المذاق | ||
| "مذاق" can also refer to the flavor or quality of something, such as a literary or artistic work, or a person's character. | |||
Taste in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shije | ||
| "Shije" comes from Proto-Indo-European "*gʰeus-o-m" meaning "sense". | |||
| Basque | zaporea | ||
| In the dialect of Bilbao, “zapore” can mean the smell or the flavour of a food. | |||
| Catalan | gust | ||
| In Catalan, gust derives from the Latin gustus, while in English, it comes from the Old French goust. | |||
| Croatian | ukus | ||
| The Croatian word "ukus" can also mean "enjoyment" or "pleasure." | |||
| Danish | smag | ||
| Smag is also related to the Old Norse smá, meaning "to examine by smelling or tasting." | |||
| Dutch | smaak | ||
| The Dutch word "smaak" not only shares a common Germanic root with its English translation, "taste," but also has a secondary meaning: "reputation". | |||
| English | taste | ||
| The word 'taste' can also refer to a person's aesthetic sense or their preference for something. | |||
| French | goût | ||
| "Goût" comes from the Latin word "gustus," and also refers to a person's sense of style." | |||
| Frisian | smaak | ||
| The word "smaak" also means "pleasure" or "enjoyment" in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | gusto | ||
| In Galician, "gusto" can also refer to "inclination" or "passion". | |||
| German | geschmack | ||
| In German, the word "Geschmack" also refers to a person's sense of style or aesthetic preferences. | |||
| Icelandic | bragð | ||
| The word "bragð" in Icelandic also means "trick" or "deceit", suggesting a connection between taste and perception. | |||
| Irish | blas | ||
| The Irish word "blas" can also refer to reputation, fame, or honor. | |||
| Italian | gusto | ||
| In English the word "gusto" suggests enthusiastic enjoyment, whereas "gusto" in Italian refers to the sense of taste. | |||
| Luxembourgish | schmaachen | ||
| Maltese | togħma | ||
| "Togħma" may refer to the sensation of flavour experienced when food comes into contact with the tongue, or to the flavour itself. | |||
| Norwegian | smak | ||
| The word "smak" can also refer to a kiss or a slap in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | gosto | ||
| In Brazil "gosto" can also mean "to like", e.g. "Eu gosto de chocolate" ("I like chocolate") or "Qual o teu gosto musical?" ("What's your musical taste?"). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | blas | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "blas" refers to the physical sensation of taste, but also figuratively to judgment, opinion, or understanding. | |||
| Spanish | gusto | ||
| In Spanish, "gusto" can also mean "pleasure" or "enthusiasm" | |||
| Swedish | smak | ||
| Småka, meaning 'to snack', is derived from smak, meaning 'taste', which is related to smaka in Norwegian and smakke in Danish. | |||
| Welsh | blas | ||
| Blas can also mean "boast" or "brag". | |||
Taste in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | густ | ||
| The word "густ" in Belarusian translates to "density" in English. | |||
| Bosnian | ukus | ||
| In Bosnian, "ukus" can also refer to the sense of smell or the ability to perceive flavors. | |||
| Bulgarian | вкус | ||
| The word "вкус" also means "judgment" and "common sense" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | chuť | ||
| "Chuť" has other meanings in Czech, including "mood" or "desire". | |||
| Estonian | maitse | ||
| In the Võro dialect, "maitse" also means "sense". | |||
| Finnish | maku | ||
| The word "maku" is also used to refer to a person's preferences or tastes, as in "Hänellä on hyvä maku" (He has good taste). | |||
| Hungarian | íz | ||
| The word "íz" originally meant "smell" or "scent," and is related to the Turkish word "esiz." | |||
| Latvian | garša | ||
| "Garša" also means "seasoning" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | skonis | ||
| The Lithuanian word "skonis" is cognate with the Sanskrit word "svanah," meaning "to sound," suggesting a historical connection between the senses of taste and hearing. | |||
| Macedonian | вкус | ||
| The word "вкус" can also be used to refer to "opinion", "liking" or "preference". | |||
| Polish | smak | ||
| The word "smak" also means "smack" in English, indicating a connection between taste and physical sensation. | |||
| Romanian | gust | ||
| In modern Romanian, "gust" can be translated as "wind", "breeze", "whiff", or "flavor", deriving from a Slavic cognate of English "gust" | |||
| Russian | вкус | ||
| "Вкус" also means "preference" or "opinion" in Russian | |||
| Serbian | укус | ||
| In some Slavonic languages, the word "укус" has other meanings, such as "bite". | |||
| Slovak | ochutnať | ||
| The word "ochutnať" is derived from the Old Slavic word "okostati", meaning to try or experience. | |||
| Slovenian | okus | ||
| "okus" can also mean "odor", "scent" or "smell", coming from the Proto-Slavic word "*oksti" and cognate with the Latin "*odor" | |||
| Ukrainian | смак | ||
| "Смак" in Ukrainian can also refer to a dish's flavor or appeal, a sense of joy or satisfaction, or a type of folk song. | |||
Taste in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | স্বাদ | ||
| স্বাদ can also mean 'character' or 'mood'. | |||
| Gujarati | સ્વાદ | ||
| In Sanskrit, "svād" denotes both "taste" and "self," suggesting a connection between sensory experience and identity. | |||
| Hindi | स्वाद | ||
| The word 'स्वाद' can also refer to 'interest', 'enjoyment', and 'attraction' in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ರುಚಿ | ||
| The word "ರುಚಿ" also means "interest" or "liking" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | രുചി | ||
| The Malayalam word 'രുചി' is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word 'रस' (rasa), meaning 'essence', 'flavor', or 'juice'. | |||
| Marathi | चव | ||
| The Marathi word "चव" (taste) is also used to refer to appetite or relish for something. | |||
| Nepali | स्वाद | ||
| The word "स्वाद" in Nepali derives from the Sanskrit word "स्वादु" and originally meant "pleasant, agreeable". | |||
| Punjabi | ਸੁਆਦ | ||
| The word 'ਸੁਆਦ' in Punjabi derives from the Sanskrit word 'स्वाद' meaning 'relish, enjoyment' and also shares its root with the English word 'sweet'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | රසය | ||
| In Ayurveda, the word "රසය" refers to the six Ayurvedic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. | |||
| Tamil | சுவை | ||
| In Tamil, "சுவை" also refers to the seven basic human emotions: love, laughter, sorrow, anger, fear, surprise, and wonder. | |||
| Telugu | రుచి | ||
| "రుచి" also means "pleasure" or "enjoyment" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | ذائقہ | ||
| ذائقہ also refers to a small amount of food taken as an example. | |||
Taste in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 味道 | ||
| The word “味道” also means “sentiment” or “tone,” and can be used in phrases like “一种怀旧的意味” (“a sense of nostalgia”). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 味道 | ||
| In addition to 'taste', the characters '味道' ('wèidào') can also mean 'odor' or 'flavor'. | |||
| Japanese | 味 | ||
| The character "味 (あじ)" is also used to refer to "flavor" or "seasoning" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 맛이 나다 | ||
| Originally, 맛이 나다 referred to the taste of soup or food, but now also refers to the taste of music or a performance. | |||
| Mongolian | амт | ||
| "Амт" also has the alternate meaning of "the amount or rate at which something is done, taken or received". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အရသာ | ||
| The word "အရသာ" (taste) in Myanmar (Burmese) can also refer to the five "sensory qualities" (five senses) of a thing. | |||
Taste in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | rasa | ||
| In Indonesian, the word "rasa" also means "emotion" or "feeling". | |||
| Javanese | rasa | ||
| The word "rasa" in Javanese is also used to describe the concept of inner knowledge or intuition. | |||
| Khmer | ភ្លក្សរសជាតិ | ||
| The word "ភ្លក្សរសជាតិ" in Khmer can also refer to the sense of taste or the characteristic flavor of something. | |||
| Lao | ລົດຊາດ | ||
| Malay | rasa | ||
| Rasa is also a Sanskrit term that refers to the nine basic emotions in Indian aesthetics: rati or sringara (erotica), hasa (humour), karuna (sorrow or pity), raudra (anger), vira (heroic sentiment or bravery), bhayankara (terror), bibhatsa (disgust) and adbhuta or vismaya (wonder or astonishment)} | |||
| Thai | ลิ้มรส | ||
| "ลิ้มรส" can also mean "to enjoy", "to appreciate", or "to experience". | |||
| Vietnamese | nếm thử | ||
| "Nếm thử" has the same meaning as "nếm" and "thử". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | panlasa | ||
Taste in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dadmaq | ||
| In Azerbaijani, the word "dadmaq" also refers to the sense of touch. | |||
| Kazakh | дәм | ||
| The word "дәм" can also mean "flavor", "spirit", "mood", or "essence" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | даам | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "даам" also has the meaning of "meaning, significance, sense, and purpose" | |||
| Tajik | бичашед | ||
| The word "бичашед" in Tajik can also refer to the act of testing or experiencing something. | |||
| Turkmen | tagamy | ||
| Uzbek | ta'mi | ||
| The word "ta'mi" also means "flavour" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | تەمى | ||
Taste in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻono | ||
| ʻOno also means 'delicious' or 'good tasting' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | reka | ||
| Reka has an ancient alternate meaning similar to English "enjoy" in some contexts. | |||
| Samoan | tofo | ||
| Tofo can also mean 'to try out' or 'to test'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tikman | ||
| The Tagalog word "tikman" also means to "try" or "sample" something, and is related to the word "-tikim" which means "a taste" or a "sample" of food. | |||
Taste in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sawura | ||
| Guarani | kũmby | ||
Taste in International Languages
| Esperanto | ĝusto | ||
| The Esperanto word "ĝusto" can also mean "to try" or "to examine". | |||
| Latin | gustum | ||
| Despite its primary meaning "taste", the Latin word "gustum" can also refer to a small amount of something given to test or sample it. | |||
Taste in Others Languages
| Greek | γεύση | ||
| Etymology: < πρωτοϊνδοευρωπαϊκό *ǵéusom "to sense; be aware of" (cf. the Latin "gustus") < πρωτοσημιτικό *gūštum "sense". | |||
| Hmong | saj | ||
| The Hmong word "saj" not only refers to the sensation of taste, but also to the concepts of "sense" and "meaning" | |||
| Kurdish | tam | ||
| The Kurdish word "tam" also means "to know" or "to understand". | |||
| Turkish | damak zevki | ||
| In Persian, 'Damak' means the roof of the mouth, while in Turkish it means taste. | |||
| Xhosa | incasa | ||
| In the Xhosa language, the word "incasa" also refers to a person who is a good judge of character or who has a strong understanding of a particular subject. | |||
| Yiddish | געשמאַק | ||
| The word "געשמאַק" in Yiddish can also refer to something that is pleasing or delightful | |||
| Zulu | ukunambitheka | ||
| The word "ukunambitheka" can also mean "to test" or "to try". | |||
| Assamese | সোৱাদ | ||
| Aymara | sawura | ||
| Bhojpuri | स्वाद | ||
| Dhivehi | ރަހަ | ||
| Dogri | सुआद | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | panlasa | ||
| Guarani | kũmby | ||
| Ilocano | ramanan | ||
| Krio | tes | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تام | ||
| Maithili | सुवाद | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯍꯥꯎ | ||
| Mizo | tem | ||
| Oromo | dhamdhama | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସ୍ୱାଦ | ||
| Quechua | malliy | ||
| Sanskrit | रुचि | ||
| Tatar | тәме | ||
| Tigrinya | ጣዕሚ | ||
| Tsonga | nantswo | ||