味道

Chinese

	taste	direction; way; method direction; way; method; road; path; principle; truth; reason; skill; Tao (of Taoism); a measure word; to say; to speak; to talk
trad. (味道)	味	道
simp. ^#(味道)	味	道
Literally: “to savour the principles”.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): wèidào

(Zhuyin): ㄨㄟˋ ㄉㄠˋ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): wei⁴ dao⁴

(Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): vīdao

(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): видо (vido, III-I) / видо (vido, III-0)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): mei⁶ dou⁶

(Taishan, Wiktionary): mei⁵ au⁵
Gan (Wiktionary): ui⁵ tau
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): mi-tho

(Hailu, HRS): mui^˖ to^˖

(Meixian, Guangdong): mi⁴ tau⁴
Jin (Wiktionary): vei³ dau²
Northern Min (KCR): mī-dàu
Eastern Min (BUC): ê-dô̤
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): bī-tō͘ / bī-tō / bi-tǎu

(Teochew, Peng'im): bhi⁷ dao⁶
Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁶mi-dau₆ / ⁶mi-dau₄
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): uei⁵ dau⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wèidào → wèidao (toneless final syllable variant)
  - Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˋ ㄉㄠˋ → ㄨㄟˋ ˙ㄉㄠ (toneless final syllable variant)
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wèidåo
  - Wade–Giles: wei⁴-tao⁵
  - Yale: wèi-dau
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wey.daw
  - Palladius: вэйдао (vɛjdao)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ tɑʊ̯⁵¹/ → /weɪ̯⁵¹ d̥ɑʊ̯¹/

Note: The verb sense is only read with the reading "wèidào", with emphases on both syllables.

- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: wei⁴ dao⁴
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: uidao
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /uei²¹³ tau²¹³/
- (Xi'an)
  - Guanzhong Pinyin: vīdao
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /vi⁵⁵ tau/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic and Wiktionary: видо (vido, III-I) / видо (vido, III-0)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /vi⁴⁴ tɔ²⁴/, /vi⁴⁴ tɔ⁰/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: mei⁶ dou⁶
  - Yale: meih douh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: mei⁶ dou⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: méi⁶ dou⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mei̯²² tou̯²²/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: mei⁵ au⁵
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵐbei³² au³²/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: ui⁵ tau
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui¹¹ tʰau¹/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: mi-tho
  - Hakka Romanization System: mi to
  - Hagfa Pinyim: mi⁴ to⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /mi⁵⁵ tʰo⁵⁵/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: mui^˖ to^˖
  - Sinological IPA: /mui³³ tʰo³³/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: mi⁴ tau⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /mi⁵³⁻⁵⁵ tʰau⁵³/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: vei³ dau²
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /vei⁴⁵ tau⁵³/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: mī-dàu
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mi⁵⁵ tau⁴²/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: ê-dô̤
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²⁴²⁻⁵³ ^(t-)lɔ²⁴²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bī-tō͘
  - Tâi-lô: bī-tōo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: bixdo
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /bi⁴¹⁻²² tɔ⁴¹/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bī-tō
  - Tâi-lô: bī-tō
  - Phofsit Daibuun: bixdoi
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /bi²²⁻²¹ to²²/
- (Hokkien: Longyan)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bi-tǎu
  - Tâi-lô: bi-tǎu
  - IPA (Longyan): /bi³³⁴ tau⁵³/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: bhi⁷ dao⁶
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: bī tău
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /bi¹¹ tau³⁵/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶mi-dau₆
  - MiniDict: mi^去 dau^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³mi-dau₃
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /mi²² dɔ⁴⁴/
- (Northern: Jiaxing)
  - Wugniu: ⁶mi-dau₄
  - MiniDict: mi^去 dau^上
  - Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /mi¹³ dɔ²¹/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: uei⁵ dau⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /u̯e̞i̯²¹⁻¹¹ tɒu̯⁴⁵/

Middle Chinese: mj+jH dawX

Rime
Character	味	道
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)	定 (7)
Final (韻)	微 (21)	豪 (89)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Open
Division (等)	III	I
Fanqie	無沸切	徒晧切
Baxter	mj+jH	dawX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/mʉi^H/	/dɑu^X/
Pan Wuyun	/mʷɨi^H/	/dɑu^X/
Shao Rongfen	/miuəi^H/	/dɑu^X/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/muj^H/	/daw^X/
Li Rong	/miuəi^H/	/dɑu^X/
Wang Li	/mĭwəi^H/	/dɑu^X/
Bernhard Karlgren	/mwe̯i^H/	/dʱɑu^X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wèi	dào
Expected Cantonese Reflex	mei⁶	dou⁶

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*m[ə]t-s [kə.l]ˤuʔ/

(Zhengzhang): /*mɯds l'uːʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	味	道
Reading #	1/1	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wèi	dào
Middle Chinese	‹ mjɨj^H ›	‹ daw^X ›
Old Chinese	/*m[ə]t-s/	/*[kə.l]ˁuʔ/
English	taste (n.)	way
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] 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	道
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	12918	11669
Phonetic component	未	首
Rime group	隊	幽
Rime subdivision	1	1
Corresponding MC rime	未	道
Old Chinese	/*mɯds/	/*l'uːʔ/

Noun

味道

flavour; taste
品嘗味道／品尝味道 ― pǐncháng wèidào ― to taste the flavour

味道有點怪。／味道有点怪。 ― Wèidào yǒudiǎn guài. ― It tastes funny.

要什麼味道的冰淇淋？ [MSC, trad.]
要什么味道的冰淇淋？ [MSC, simp.]
Yào shénme wèidào de bīngqílín? [Pinyin]
What flavour of ice cream would you like?
1. (figurative) taste of cooking; food
  媽媽的味道／妈妈的味道 ― māma de wèidào ― the taste of mum's cooking
smell; odour (Classifier: 股 m)
菜有股味道。 ― Cài yǒu gǔ wèidào. ― The dish smells rotten.
(figurative) interest
越看越有味道 ― yuè kàn yuè yǒu wèidào ― the more one reads, the more intriguing [the book] becomes
(figurative) particular sense or feeling
有點諷刺的味道／有点讽刺的味道 ― yǒudiǎn fěngcì de wèidào ― have a touch of sarcasm

Synonyms

(flavour):

Dialectal synonyms of 味道 (“taste; flavour”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		味
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		滋味, 味道, 風味, 口味
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	味兒
	Taiwan	味道, 味
	Singapore	味道, 味
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	味兒
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	味道
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	味道
	Wuhan	味口, 味
	Guilin	味道
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	味道
Jianghuai Mandarin	Hefei	味道
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
	Shantou	味道, 味素
	Jieyang	味, 味素
Wu	Shanghai	吃口
	Suzhou	味道
	Wenzhou	味道
Xiang	Changsha	味道
Xiang	Shuangfeng	味道

(smell):

Dialectal synonyms of 氣味 (“smell; odour”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		氣息, 臭味, 氣
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	味兒
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	味
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	味兒
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	味兒, 味氣
Central Plains Mandarin	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	味味子, 味味兒
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	氣氣, 味道
Southwestern Mandarin	Wuhan	氣味, 氣色
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	味道
Jianghuai Mandarin	Hefei	味道, 氣味
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
Wu	Wenzhou	氣道
Xiang	Changsha	氣色, 味道, 氣味
Xiang	Shuangfeng	氣色, 氣

Verb

味道

(Classical) to observe the rules; to savour the reasons; to perceive the truth