够味儿 (gòu wèi ér) — (of food) rich, strong, and satisfying in flavor; (of a performance, skill, etc.) excellent, impressive, top-notch

Definition

A colloquial compliment meaning 'just right' — flavorful in food, or lively and impressive in a performance. Stronger than 好吃 or 好听; it praises authentic character, not just pleasantness.

adjective
(of food) richstrongand satisfying in flavor(of a performance, skill, etc.) excellentimpressivetop-notch

Examples

  • 够味儿，。
    Zhè dào chuān cài zhēn shì gòu wèi ér, là dé gāng gāng hǎo.
    This Sichuan dish is really flavorful — the spiciness is just right.
  • 够味儿，。
    Tā chàng de jīng jù hěn gòu wèi ér, guān zhòng dōu jiào hǎo.
    His Peking Opera performance was excellent; the audience all cheered.
  • 够味儿，。
    Nǐ xiě de nà ge duàn zi zhēn gòu wèi ér, dà jiā dōu xiào le.
    That sketch you wrote was really impressive — everyone laughed.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

够味enough flavor
够gòuenough味wèiflavor
偏正Modifier + head
儿ér

够 means enough, 味 means flavor, and 儿 gives the familiar 味儿, so it describes a rich, satisfying flavor.

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 夠; 够 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
多多duō
Sound part声符shēngfú
句
句jù夠gòu
Same sound today

In the traditional form 夠, 多 is the part tied to the meaning and 句 is the part that gives the sound; the simplified 够 is a later shorthand.

Open 够 →

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 儿 is a simple drawing of a standing person, used as an alternate form of the character for person.

Open 儿 →

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