How it tastes

Collocations, Stage 3chunk 14 of 23Food & drink

The everyday comments on flavour: what it tastes like, and seasoning that is too light or too strong.

• aji ga surutaste (like something)
• aji ga usuilightly seasoned; bland (needs more salt)
• aji ga koistrongly seasoned, rich

Mix-ups A taste you notice uses suru (hen na aji suru), not aru. Seasoning is usui (light) or koi (strong), never yowai or tsuyoi, which are kept for osake.

aji ga suru

polite aji ga shimasuheard 71×

taste (like something)

味がする あじがするPlay 味がしますPlay

verbsuru するdo; with a taste, smell or sound, be sensed or give offtypical 20% of aji

trap English 'it has a weird taste' pulls toward hen na aji ga aru, which sounds off; a taste you notice 'does': hen na aji ga suru. hen na aji da is also fine. Tasting something on purpose is ajimi suru or aji o miru, not aji ga suru.

Used to say what something tastes like: hen na aji suru (tastes weird), ichigo no aji ga suru (tastes of strawberry). Casual speech drops ga, and aji shinai means it tastes of nothing.

casualPlay

nanka hen na aji suru.

This tastes kind of weird.

なんか変な味する。

politePlay

nanka hen na aji ga shimasu ne.

This tastes a bit strange.

なんか変な味がしますね。

nioi ga suru and oto ga suru use the same frame.

Same verb: nioi (smell), oto (sound), kanji (feel, impression), ki (a hunch)Learn alongside: nioi ga suru, oto ga suru, koe ga kikoeru, oto ga deru (Stage 4)Main list: suru (Stage 1), ki ga suru (Stage 2), hen (Stage 4)

aji ga usui

polite aji ga usui desuheard —rarely

lightly seasoned; bland (needs more salt)

味が薄い あじがうすいPlay 味が薄いですPlay

adjectiveusui 薄いthin, faint, weak (paper, colour, taste)

trap Not aji ga yowai: food short on salt is usui (thin), the same word as weak coffee. aji ga nai is fine for food with no taste at all.

The everyday verdict on food that needs more salt or soy sauce: chotto aji usui ne. Casual speech drops ga.

casualPlay

kore, chotto aji usui ne.

This is a bit bland.

これ、ちょっと味薄いね。

politePlay

kore, chotto aji ga usui desu ne.

This is a bit bland.

これ、ちょっと味が薄いですね。

aji ga koi is the opposite: strongly seasoned, often too salty. usuaji (light seasoning) is often praise (usuaji de oishii); aji ga usui on its own is usually a complaint.

Same adjective: koohii (coffee), ocha (tea), iro (colour), haibooru (highball: a weak mix)Learn alongside: aji ga koiMain list: oishii (Stage 3)

aji ga koi

polite aji ga koi desuheard —rarely

strongly seasoned, rich

味が濃い あじがこいPlay 味が濃いですPlay

adjectivekoi 濃いdense, strong in concentration (taste, colour, coffee)

trap English 'strong flavour' leads to aji ga tsuyoi, which is said of a pungent, distinctive taste. Heavy seasoning is koi (dense), the same word as strong coffee and dark colour. 'Too salty' on its own is shoppai.

Said about food with a lot of salt, soy sauce or sauce, often as a mild complaint (chotto aji koi ne) and sometimes as praise for food that goes with rice. Casual speech drops ga, and before a noun it is koi aji.

casualPlay

aji koi kara, gohan susumu ne.

It's richly seasoned, so it goes great with rice.

味濃いから、ご飯進むね。

politePlay

aji ga koi node, gohan ga susumimasu ne.

It's richly seasoned, so it goes great with rice.

味が濃いので、ご飯が進みますね。

aji ga usui is the opposite; aji koisugiru (way too strong) is a clear complaint.

Same adjective: koohii (coffee), ocha (tea), iro (colour), keshou (make-up)Learn alongside: aji ga usuiMain list: -sugiru (Stage 4)