HOW TO Describe Flavours in Mandarin
Sour: suān / 酸
Sweet: tián / 甜
Bitter: kǔ / 苦
Spicy: là / 辣
Much like English, these words are not restricted to food only. For example, kǔ (苦) can also mean “hardship”, “pain” and “suffering”.
If you combine all 4 flavours, you’ll get a phrase: Suān Tián Kǔ Là (酸甜苦辣). This phrase describes the joys and sorrows of life and the whole range of emotions.
Aside from being mildly poetic, it’s also a handy phrase to remember the flavours, as they are listed in order of tones. Suān (1st, level) Tián (2nd, rising) Kǔ (3rd, rising-falling) Là (4th, falling)
