变味 (biàn wèi) — to go bad, to spoil (of food); to taste off or unpleasant

Definition

Literally 'change flavor': used mainly for food or drink that has spoiled or developed an off taste. By extension, it can also mean something (an event, story, atmosphere) has lost its original flavor or quality.

verb
to go badto spoil (of food)to taste off or unpleasant

Examples

  • 变味，。
    Zhè niú nǎi yǐ jīng biàn wèi le, bù néng hē.
    This milk has already gone bad — you can't drink it.
  • ，。
    Cài fàng zài wài miàn tài jiǔ, zǎo jiù biàn le wèi.
    The food was left out too long and spoiled long ago.
  • 变味，。
    Zhè zhǒng shuǐ guǒ róng yì biàn wèi, yào fàng zài bīng xiāng lǐ.
    This kind of fruit spoils easily — you need to put it in the fridge.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

变biànchange
味wèitaste

“变” means change and “味” means taste, so it describes a taste that has changed and become unpleasant.

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 變; 变 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
䜌
䜌䜌變biàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 變 uses 䜌 as a sound part and 攴 as a meaning part.

Open 变 →

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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