味 (wèi) is a Chinese character meaning “taste”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 未 (not yet; have not), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “taste; flavor”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 未
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS ⿰口未；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 核验：8 画 = 口 3 画 + 未 5 画；声符对照 未 wèi ↔ 味 wèi（声母、韵母、声调完全相同）
Memory aid
A mouth (口) next to 未 "not yet": you have not decided yet — take one more bite and name the taste.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 味道wèi dàotaste; flavor味 = wèi
- 口味kǒu wèitaste; one's preference in food味 = wèi
- 咸味xián wèisalty taste; saltiness味 = wèi
- 臭味chòu wèibad smell; stench味 = wèi
Go deeper
All readings
taste
taste; flavor; smell; (measure word for herbal ingredients)
舌头尝到或鼻子闻到的感觉；滋味、气味。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 味道wèi dàotaste; flavor味 = wèi
- 口味kǒu wèitaste; one's preference in food味 = wèi
- 咸味xián wèisalty taste; saltiness味 = wèi
- 臭味chòu wèibad smell; stench味 = wèi
Sound component
未 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 味 mean?
味 (wèi) means taste; flavor; smell; (measure word for herbal ingredients).
How do you pronounce 味?
It is pronounced wèi.
What parts is 味 made of?
口 (mouth) and 未 (not yet; have not), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS ⿰口未；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 核验：8 画 = 口 3 画 + 未 5 画；声符对照 未 wèi ↔ 味 wèi（声母、韵母、声调完全相同）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 味 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 味?
口. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 味?
Common ones are 味道 and 口味. The reading of 味 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.