How to Say Food Tastes Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter, or Spicy in Japanese
Learn to describe the basic taste of food in Japanese using kore wa ___ desu and ___ no aji ga shimasu, so you can talk about what a dish is like rather than whether you like it.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you want to describe how a food actually tastes in Japanese, you need two simple patterns. The first is kore wa ___ desu, meaning "This is ___," which names the taste directly. The second is ___ no aji ga shimasu, meaning "It tastes ___," which describes the flavor you notice when you eat it. These patterns describe the food's own quality, not your personal preference. Saying kore wa amai desu ("This is sweet") is different from saying kore ga suki desu ("I like this"). This lesson teaches the five basic tastes in Japanese and shows you how to use both patterns naturally in short conversations.
By the end, you can…
- name the five basic tastes in Japanese: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and spicy.
- describe a food's taste using kore wa ___ desu and ___ no aji ga shimasu.
- distinguish describing a food's quality from stating my personal preference.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
これは甘いです。
This is sweet.
Kore wa amai desu.
Use when the food itself is sweet, such as cake or fruit. Amai is an i-adjective, so it comes directly before desu.
これは塩辛いです。
This is salty.
Kore wa shiokarai desu.
Shiokarai means "salty" and is the clear, standard word for saltiness. Karai, by contrast, means "spicy" (or "hot") in modern standard Japanese, so use shiokarai when you specifically mean salty.
これは酸っぱいです。
This is sour.
Kore wa suppai desu.
Use for lemons, vinegar, or sour pickles. The small tsu in suppai creates a short pause before pai.
これは苦いです。
This is bitter.
Kore wa nigai desu.
Use for strong coffee, bitter greens, or some medicines. Nigai is an i-adjective.
これは辛いです。
This is spicy.
Kore wa karai desu.
Use for hot curry, chili, or wasabi. Karai describes heat, not saltiness, in most modern standard Japanese.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern kore wa ___ desu means "This is ___." Put an i-adjective such as amai (sweet), suppai (sour), nigai (bitter), or karai (spicy) directly before desu. For example, kore wa amai desu means "This is sweet." You can also use the pattern ___ no aji ga shimasu, which means "It tastes ___." Here the taste word becomes a noun with no: amai aji ga shimasu ("It tastes sweet"), suppai aji ga shimasu ("It tastes sour"). The verb shimasu literally means "do," but in this pattern it describes a sensation you notice.
When to use it
Use kore wa ___ desu when you are simply naming the taste of something in front of you, such as kore wa karai desu ("This is spicy") while looking at a curry. Use ___ no aji ga shimasu when you are tasting something and reporting the flavor you notice, such as kono sōsu wa suppai aji ga shimasu ("This sauce tastes sour"). Both patterns describe the food's inherent quality. If you want to say you like it, use kore ga suki desu instead. Mixing these up can sound as if you are saying the food itself is "likable."
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
これは何ですか。
What is this?Kore wa nan desu ka.それはレモンです。
That is a lemon.Sore wa remon desu.これは酸っぱいですか。
Is this sour?Kore wa suppai desu ka.はい、酸っぱいです。とても酸っぱい味がします。
Yes, it is sour. It tastes very sour.Hai, suppai desu. Totemo suppai aji ga shimasu.A little context goes a long way
In Japanese, taste descriptions often appear with the particle wa to mark the food as the topic, as in kore wa amai desu. When you are eating with others, it is common to comment on the food's taste rather than directly on your preference. Saying amai desu ne ("It's sweet, isn't it?") invites agreement and keeps the conversation friendly. Avoid saying karai desu ne about a dish someone cooked unless you know they intend it to be spicy, because it can sound like criticism.
One thing to watch for
Using suki desu to mean "It tastes good" or "It is sweet."
Try this instead: Suki desu means "I like it," not "It tastes good." To describe taste, use kore wa amai desu ("This is sweet") or amai aji ga shimasu ("It tastes sweet"). If you want to say you like it, say kore ga suki desu.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say "This is bitter" in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
これは苦いです。 (Kore wa nigai desu.)
Nigai is the i-adjective for "bitter," and it comes directly before desu. Kore wa marks "this" as the topic.
2What is the difference between kore wa karai desu and kore ga suki desu?
Show a sample answer
Kore wa karai desu describes the food as spicy. Kore ga suki desu means "I like this."
The first describes an inherent quality of the food. The second states your personal preference. Both are correct, but they answer different questions.
3How would you say "This sauce tastes sour" using the aji ga shimasu pattern?
Show a sample answer
このソースは酸っぱい味がします。 (Kono sōsu wa suppai aji ga shimasu.)
Suppai becomes suppai aji ("sour taste") before ga shimasu. Kono sōsu wa marks "this sauce" as the topic. You could also say kono sōsu wa suppai desu, which is simpler and equally correct.
Use kore wa ___ desu to name a taste and ___ no aji ga shimasu to describe the flavor you notice. Keep taste words separate from suki desu, which talks about liking, not flavor.
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