taste
taste — 名詞
1. the flavour of food or drink that you notice when you put it in your mouth, or t
味道；味覺
食物在口中的味道，或辨別味道的感官
the flavour of food or drink that you notice when you put it in your mouth, or the physical sense that lets you recognise different flavours.
The soup had a sweet taste that reminded Yael of her grandmother's cooking.
這碗湯有種甜甜的味道，讓 Yael 想起祖母做的菜。
adjectival modifier before 'taste': a sweet taste
Vinícius noticed a strange metallic taste in his water and stopped drinking.
Vinícius 注意到水裡有股怪異的金屬味，便停止飲用。
adjectival modifier: metallic taste
People who lose their sense of taste often struggle to enjoy meals.
失去味覺的人通常很難享受用餐的樂趣。
This strawberry ice cream has a rich, creamy taste that children love.
這款草莓冰淇淋有濃郁奶香的味道，小朋友很喜歡。
The taste of fresh mint in the tea helped calm Lakshmi's upset stomach.
茶裡新鮮薄荷的味道幫助 Lakshmi 舒緩了腸胃不適。
- tastelessness
the state of having no flavour at all
文法句型
have a … taste
sense of taste
taste of something
用法筆記
When used as a countable noun ('a sweet taste', 'a strange taste'), the focus is on a specific flavour experience. As an uncountable noun, it refers to the general sense ('taste is one of the five senses').
常見錯誤
2. the state of finding pleasure in something — a particular food, drink, or activi
喜愛；嗜好
對某事物的喜好或偏愛
the state of finding pleasure in something — a particular food, drink, or activity — especially after gradually getting used to it.
Théo developed a taste for spicy Thai food after his trip to Bangkok.
Théo 在曼谷之旅後，漸漸喜歡上辛辣的泰國菜。
pattern: develop a taste for [something]
Lakshmi acquired a taste for classical music after attending a concert.
Lakshmi 參加了一場音樂會之後，開始愛上古典音樂。
pattern: acquire a taste for [something]
Beatrix never had much taste for outdoor sports like hiking or camping.
Beatrix 向來不怎麼喜歡登山或露營等戶外運動。
Dario's taste for expensive wine started during his years living in France.
Dario 對昂貴葡萄酒的偏愛，始於他住在法國的那幾年。
Sofia's first single-malt whisky in Edinburgh made her grimace, but it became an acquired taste.
Sofia 在愛丁堡第一次喝單一麥芽威士忌時皺起了眉頭，但後來那酒成了她的後天嗜好。
文法句型
have a taste for something
acquire a taste for something
develop a taste for something
用法筆記
Typically appears in the fixed pattern 'a taste for [something]'. The phrase 'acquired taste' refers to something that people usually dislike at first but learn to enjoy over time.
常見錯誤
3. a tiny portion of something edible taken into the mouth in order to judge its qu
少量；一口
嘗試的一小口食物或飲料
a tiny portion of something edible taken into the mouth in order to judge its quality or your reaction to it.
Obi took a small taste of the sauce to check if it needed more salt.
Obi 嚐了一小口醬汁，看看是否還需要加鹽。
pattern: take a taste of [something]
The shop offered customers a free taste of their new cheese.
這家店提供新起司的免費試吃給顧客。
collocation: a free taste
Just a taste of the chocolate cake was enough to satisfy Naoko's sweet craving.
只要一小口巧克力蛋糕，就足以滿足 Naoko 對甜食的渴望。
Could I have a taste of your lemonade to see if I want one too?
我可以嚐一口你的檸檬水嗎？看看我是否也想點一杯。
文法句型
a taste of something
have a taste
take a taste
give someone a taste
用法筆記
This sense always refers to a literal small portion of food or drink. Do not confuse with sense 7 (BRIEF EXPERIENCE), which uses the same pattern 'a taste of' but for non-food experiences like freedom or success.
常見錯誤
4. a person's ability to choose things that are good, suitable, or of high quality
品味
判斷好壞、優劣的能力
a person's ability to choose things that are good, suitable, or of high quality — often used in the phrase 'good taste' or 'bad taste'.
The interior designer has excellent taste and turned the empty room into a warm home.
那位室內設計師品味極佳，把原本空蕩蕩的房間變成了溫馨的家。
collocation: have excellent taste
Wearing a brightly patterned shirt to a funeral is considered bad taste.
穿鮮豔花襯衫去參加喪禮被認為是很不得體的行為。
collocation: bad taste
Jin's taste in clothing is so refined that people often ask where he shops.
Jin 的衣著品味十分講究，常有人問他在哪裡買衣服。
A joke about someone's illness can be seen as being in poor taste.
拿別人的病情開玩笑，可能會被視為品味低劣。
Élise showed great taste by choosing simple wooden furniture instead of plastic pieces.
Élise 選擇簡單的木質家具而非塑膠製品，展現了很好的品味。
- discernment
formal; emphasises the ability to make fine, careful judgments
- judgment
broader term; can apply to many areas beyond aesthetics
- tastelessness
the quality of lacking stylistic or social judgment
文法句型
taste in something
have taste in
good taste
poor taste
bad taste
用法筆記
In this sense, 'taste' is always uncountable — never 'a good taste' or 'good tastes'. The phrase 'in good/bad/poor taste' describes whether something is socially or culturally appropriate.
常見錯誤
5. the ability to judge what is beautiful, appropriate, or of high quality in art,
鑑賞力；審美
對藝術、時尚等高雅事物的判斷力
the ability to judge what is beautiful, appropriate, or of high quality in art, fashion, design, music, or behaviour.
Christopher's taste in modern art is widely admired by gallery owners.
Christopher 對現代藝術的鑑賞力廣受畫廊業者推崇。
pattern: taste in [art form]
The museum director is known for her impeccable taste in contemporary sculpture.
那位博物館館長以其對當代雕塑無可挑剔的品味而聞名。
collocation: impeccable taste
A person of taste would never hang plastic flowers next to a painting.
有品味的人絕對不會在畫作旁邊擺放塑膠花。
Hui's refined taste in furniture makes her home look like a design magazine.
Hui 對傢俱的審美眼光獨到，讓她的家看起來就像設計雜誌。
The critics praised the director's taste in selecting actors for the film.
影評人稱讚導演在選角方面的獨到眼光。
- discrimination
formal; emphasises the ability to recognise fine distinctions in quality
- refinement
suggests good taste that comes from education, culture, or training
- aesthetic sense
focuses specifically on the appreciation of beauty
- cultivation
implies taste developed through learning and exposure to culture
- vulgarity
the quality of being crude or lacking good taste
- philistinism
formal; hostility or indifference to artistic and cultural values
文法句型
taste in something
good/refined/impeccable taste
用法筆記
Similar to sense 4 but more specifically focused on aesthetic and artistic judgment. This sense is always uncountable and often modified by adjectives like 'refined', 'impeccable', 'exquisite', or 'sophisticated'.
常見錯誤
6. the particular things that a person likes or prefers, such as types of music, bo
喜好；興趣
個人偏好的事物（如音樂、書籍、服裝）
the particular things that a person likes or prefers, such as types of music, books, films, clothes, or food.
Christopher's musical tastes range from classical piano to modern jazz.
Christopher 的音樂喜好範圍很廣，從古典鋼琴到現代爵士都有。
plural form: musical tastes
Ari and Hui have very different tastes in food, so choosing a restaurant is always hard.
Ari 和 Hui 在食物方面的喜好非常不同，所以選餐廳總是很困難。
pattern: tastes in [category], plural subject
As she grew older, Beatrix's tastes in literature changed from fantasy to historical fiction.
隨著年紀增長，Beatrix 在文學方面的偏好從奇幻小說轉變為歷史小說。
The app recommends films based on your tastes and past viewing history.
這款應用程式會根據你的喜好和過去的觀看歷史來推薦電影。
- preferences
more general; can apply to any choice between options, not just aesthetic ones
- likes
informal; often paired with 'dislikes'
- inclinations
more formal; suggests a natural tendency toward certain choices
- dislikes
the things someone does not like
文法句型
tastes in something
someone's tastes
musical/literary/cultural tastes
用法筆記
This sense is most commonly used in the plural ('tastes') to refer to a person's overall set of preferences. The singular 'taste' can also be used ('his taste in music'), but 'tastes' emphasises the range and variety of someone's likes.
常見錯誤
7. a brief encounter with something unfamiliar that gives you a sense of what it fe
短暫體驗
短暫感受某事物的機會
a brief encounter with something unfamiliar that gives you a sense of what it feels like to experience it.
After just one week, Jin got a taste of what it is like to run a small business.
才過了一個星期，Jin 就初步體會到經營小企業是什麼感覺。
collocation: got a taste of
The internship gave Lakshmi a taste of working in a hospital emergency room.
這份實習讓 Lakshmi 體驗到在醫院急診室工作的滋味。
pattern: give someone a taste of [something]
Vinícius had a taste of fame when his photo appeared in the local newspaper.
Vinícius 的照片登上地方報紙後，他短暫嚐到了成名的滋味。
The short camping trip gave the children a taste of life without electricity.
這次短暫的露營讓孩子們體驗了沒有電的生活。
文法句型
a taste of something
get a taste of
have a taste of
give someone a taste of
用法筆記
This sense extends the food-related idea of 'a taste' (sense 3) to non-food contexts like experiences, emotions, or lifestyles. Unlike sense 3, the object is abstract (a taste of freedom, success, fame, independence).
常見錯誤
taste — 動詞
1. to deliberately place something edible on your tongue so you can decide what sor
品嚐；嚐
將食物放入口中以了解其味道
to deliberately place something edible on your tongue so you can decide what sort of flavour it produces.
Théo tasted the soup and added a pinch of salt to improve the flavour.
Théo 嚐了一口湯，加了一小撮鹽來提升風味。
transitive verb: tasted the soup
Before buying the olive oil, the customer was invited to taste a small sample.
顧客在購買橄欖油之前，可以先嚐一小份樣品。
passive: was invited to taste
Yael always tastes the sauce before serving it to her guests.
Yael 總是在上菜前先嚐一下醬汁的味道。
The chef tasted the curry and decided it needed more coconut milk.
主廚嚐了一口咖哩，決定再加點椰奶。
Taste the dipping sauce and tell me if it has enough lime juice.
嚐嚐這個沾醬，告訴我檸檬汁是否夠量。
文法句型
taste + noun
taste something
用法筆記
This sense is an action verb — you deliberately put food in your mouth to check the flavour. Do not confuse with verb sense 2 (HAVE FLAVOUR), which describes the inherent flavour of something and cannot be used in the continuous form.
常見錯誤
2. to produce a specific sensation on your tongue when eaten or drunk — describing
有…味道
帶有某種味道或風味
to produce a specific sensation on your tongue when eaten or drunk — describing what sort of flavour food or drink possesses.
This lemonade tastes sour because it has very little sugar.
這杯檸檬水喝起來很酸，因為糖放得很少。
linking verb + adjective: tastes sour
The chicken tastes like it has been cooked with fresh herbs and garlic.
這雞肉吃起來好像是用新鮮香草和大蒜烹調的。
pattern: tastes like + clause
Dario's homemade bread tastes wonderful when eaten warm with butter.
Dario 自製的麵包趁熱抹上奶油吃，味道好極了。
Although the medicine tasted bitter, Benjamin forced himself to swallow it.
雖然藥水喝起來很苦，Benjamin 還是強迫自己吞了下去。
This cheap coffee tastes more like hot water than real coffee.
這種廉價咖啡喝起來比較像熱水，不像真正的咖啡。
- flavour of
used as a verb: 'the soup flavours of rosemary' — less common than 'taste of'
- savour of
more formal, often used figuratively ('his comments savour of arrogance')
文法句型
taste + adjective
taste like something
taste of something
taste as if / as though
用法筆記
This is a linking verb (copula), similar to 'be', 'seem', or 'look'. It is followed by an adjective ('tastes delicious'), not an adverb ('tastes deliciously'). It is a stative verb and is rarely used in the continuous form ('is tasting') to describe inherent flavour.
常見錯誤
3. to go through something briefly — often a desirable or significant feeling, situ
體驗；嚐到
短暫經歷（成功、自由等抽象事物）
to go through something briefly — often a desirable or significant feeling, situation, or stage — and get a sense of what it is like.
After living in Japan for a year, Naoko tasted the freedom of being independent.
在日本住了一年後，Naoko 體驗到了獨立自主的自由。
abstract object: tasted the freedom of
The young musician finally tasted success when her first song became popular.
這位年輕的音樂人終於在第一首歌爆紅後嚐到了成功的滋味。
collocation: tasted success
Eve tasted defeat for the first time when her team lost the championship.
Eve 第一次嚐到失敗的滋味，那是在她的隊伍輸掉冠軍賽的時候。
After years of civil war, the region finally tasted peace.
經過多年內戰，這個地區終於迎來了和平。
- experience
more general and neutral; does not imply brevity
- sample
suggests trying a small part of something
- undergo
more formal; often used for difficult or challenging experiences
文法句型
taste + abstract noun
taste success
taste freedom
taste defeat
用法筆記
This figurative sense is more common in literary or formal writing. The objects are almost always abstract nouns like success, freedom, defeat, power, independence, or peace. It often implies that the experience is brief, new, or just enough to give a sense of what something is like.