余味 (yú wèi) — agreeable aftertaste (of food or drink); pleasant lingering impression (of art, experience, etc.)

Definition

Literary/literary-leaning word for a pleasant lingering aftertaste or impression — used for food, drink, art, or experiences. Stronger and more written than the everyday 回味.

noun
agreeable aftertaste (of food or drink)pleasant lingering impression (of art, experience, etc.)

Examples

  • ，余味。
    Zhè bēi chá rù kǒu qīng tián, yú wèi yōu cháng.
    This cup of tea is sweet at first sip, with a lingering aftertaste.
  • ，余味。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng qíng jié dòng rén, kàn hòu yú wèi wú qióng.
    This movie has a touching plot; it leaves a pleasant impression long after watching.
  • ，余味。
    Nà shǒu lǎo gē suī rán duǎn, dàn yú wèi lìng rén huí wèi.
    That old song is short, but its lingering charm invites reflection.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

余yúremaining
味wèitaste

余 (remaining) and 味 (taste) combine to suggest a lingering aftertaste.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 餘; 余 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
食食shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú餘Yú
Same sound today

The traditional form 餘 pairs 食 (food) with 余 as its sound part; the simplified 余 is a later abbreviation.

Open 余 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
未
未wèi味wèi
Same sound today

味 combines 口 (mouth) with 未, which gives the sound wèi; the mouth part relates to taste.

Open 味 →

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