味蕾 (wèi lěi) — taste bud

Definition

noun
taste bud
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 味蕾。
    Měi gè rén de wèi lěi shù liàng dōu bù yí yàng.
    Everyone's number of taste buds is different.
  • 味蕾,。
    Là jiāo huì cì jī wèi lěi, ràng nǐ gǎn jué dào là wèi.
    Chili peppers stimulate taste buds, making you feel spiciness.
  • 味蕾。
    Shé tou shàng de wèi lěi duì tián wèi zuì mǐn gǎn.
    The taste buds on the tongue are most sensitive to sweet taste.

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.

味 means taste and 蕾 means bud, together naming a taste bud.

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.

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 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 蕾 →
Appears in

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