味素

Chinese

Etymology 1

		taste	plain; element
simp. and trad. (味素)		味	素

Orthographic borrowing from Japanese 味の素 (Ajinomoto).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): wèisù

(Zhuyin): ㄨㄟˋ ㄙㄨˋ
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): mi-su

(Hailu, HRS): mui^˖ su^ˇ
Eastern Min (BUC): ê-só
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): bi⁵ sou⁴
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): bī-sò͘

(Teochew, Peng'im): bhi⁷ su³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wèisù
  - Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˋ ㄙㄨˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wèisù
  - Wade–Giles: wei⁴-su⁴
  - Yale: wèi-sù
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: weysuh
  - Palladius: вэйсу (vɛjsu)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ su⁵¹/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: mi-su
  - Hakka Romanization System: mi su
  - Hagfa Pinyim: mi⁴ su⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /mi⁵⁵ su⁵⁵/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: mui^˖ su^ˇ
  - Sinological IPA: /mui³³ su¹¹/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: ê-só
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²⁴²⁻⁵³ ^(s-)lou²¹³/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: bi⁵ sou⁴ [Phonetic: bi¹ lou⁴]
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: bī-so̍
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pi¹¹⁻⁵⁵ ^(ɬ-)lɔu⁴²/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: bi⁵ sou⁴ [Phonetic: bi¹ lou⁴]
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pi²¹⁻⁵⁵ ^(ɬ-)lɔu⁴²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bī-sò͘
  - Tâi-lô: bī-sòo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: bixsox
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /bi³³⁻²¹ sɔ²¹/
  - IPA (Taipei): /bi³³⁻¹¹ sɔ¹¹/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /bi²²⁻²¹ sɔ²¹/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: bhi⁷ su³
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: bī sù
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /bi¹¹ su²¹³/

Noun

味素

(chiefly Hakka, Eastern Min, Zhangzhou and Taiwanese Hokkien, Teochew) monosodium glutamate

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 味精 (“monosodium glutamate”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		味精, 味素, 穀氨酸鈉 Mainland, 麩胺酸鈉 Taiwan
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	味精
	Harbin	味之素 dated
	Singapore	味精
Southwestern Mandarin	Wuhan	味之素
	Guiyang	味精
	Guilin	味精
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	味之素 dated
Mandarin	Fuzhou (Qinjiang, Changle)	味之素
Cantonese	Guangzhou	味精, 味粉
	Hong Kong	味精, 師傅 slang
	Taishan	味之素
Gan	Nanchang	味之素
Gan	Pingxiang	味精
Hakka	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	味素
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	味素
	Pingtung (Wuluo, Ligang; S. Sixian)	味素
	Kaohsiung (Meinong; S. Sixian)	味素
	Kaohsiung (Shanlin; S. Sixian)	味素
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	甜粉
Jin	Taiyuan	味精
Northern Min	Jian'ou	味四素, 味精
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	味素
Eastern Min	Matsu	味素
Southern Min	Xiamen	味素粉
	Quanzhou	味素粉
	Zhangzhou	味素, 味素粉
	Pinghe	味素粉
	Zhangpu	味素粉
	Taipei	味素
	Taipei (Wanhua)	味素
	New Taipei (Tamsui)	味素
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	味素
	New Taipei (Pingxi)	味素
	Kaohsiung	味素
	Kaohsiung (Cijin)	味素
	Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)	味素
	Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)	味素
	Kaohsiung (Tianliao)	味素
	Yilan	味素
	Yilan (Toucheng)	味素
	Changhua (Lukang)	味素
	Taichung	味素
	Taichung (Wuqi)	味素
	Tainan	味素, 味素粉
	Tainan (Anping)	味素
	Taitung	味素
	Hsinchu	味素
	Kinmen	味素粉
	Penghu (Magong)	味素
	Penghu (Xiyu)	味素
	Penang (Hokkien)	味素粉
	Singapore (Hokkien)	味精
	Manila (Hokkien)	味精
	Jieyang	味素
	Wenchang	味精
	Singapore (Hainanese)	味精
Wu	Shanghai	味之素, 味精
	Shanghai (Chongming)	味之素
	Suzhou	味之素
	Hangzhou	味精
	Ningbo	味之素
	Wenzhou	味之素 dated
Xiang	Changsha	味子素

Etymology 2

		taste	plain; element
simp. and trad. (味素)		味	素
alternative forms		味數／味数 Jin; Hokkien

Pronunciation

Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): bī-sò͘

(Teochew, Peng'im): bhi⁷ sou³

Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines, Singapore)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bī-sò͘
  - Tâi-lô: bī-sòo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: bixsox
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines): /bi⁴¹⁻²² sɔ⁴¹/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Singapore): /bi²²⁻²¹ sɔ²¹/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: bhi⁷ sou³
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: bī sòu
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /bi¹¹ sou²¹³/

Noun

味素

(Jin, Southern Min, Central Min, Puxian Min) taste
- 2017, “您若来泉州”, 李海金 (lyrics), 黄敬静 (music)‎^[1]performed by 曾晓忠:
  
  泉州的味素鑽齒縫 [Hokkien, trad.]
  泉州的味素钻齿缝 [Hokkien, simp.]
  Choân-chiu ê bī-sò͘ chǹg khí-phāng [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]
  The taste of Quanzhou penetrates between the teeth
(dialectal Mandarin, Jin, Xiamen and Quanzhou Hokkien, Teochew) smell
(Teochew) temperament

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 味道 (“taste; flavour”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		味
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		滋味, 味道, 風味, 口味
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	味兒
	Taiwan	味道, 味
	Singapore	味道, 味
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	味兒
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	味道
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	味道
	Wuhan	味口, 味
	Guilin	味道
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	味道
Jianghuai Mandarin	Hefei	味道
Cantonese	Guangzhou	味道, 味
	Hong Kong	味道, 味
	Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou)	味道
	Yangjiang	味
	Singapore (Guangfu)	味道, 味
Gan	Nanchang	味道
Hakka	Meixian	味道
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	味緒, 味道
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	味緒, 味道
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	味緒, 味道
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	味緒, 味道
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	味緒, 味道
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	味素, 味緒, 味道
	Hong Kong	味
	Singkawang	味
Jin	Taiyuan	味兒, 味道
Northern Min	Jian'ou	味道
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	味
Southern Min	Xiamen	味, 味素
	Quanzhou	味, 味素
	Zhangzhou	味, 味素
	Penang (Hokkien)	味素
	Singapore (Hokkien)	味素, 味
	Manila (Hokkien)	味, 味素
	Chaozhou	味素, 味道, 味
	Shantou	味道, 味素
	Jieyang	味, 味素
Wu	Shanghai	吃口
	Suzhou	味道
	Wenzhou	味道
Xiang	Changsha	味道
Xiang	Shuangfeng	味道

Dialectal synonyms of 氣味 (“smell; odour”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		氣息, 臭味, 氣
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	味兒
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	味
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	味兒
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	味兒, 味氣
Central Plains Mandarin	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	味味子, 味味兒
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	氣氣, 味道
Southwestern Mandarin	Wuhan	氣味, 氣色
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	味道
Jianghuai Mandarin	Hefei	味道, 氣味
Cantonese	Guangzhou	味, 𡃴
	Hong Kong	味, 𡃴
	Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou)	𡃴
	Yangjiang	味, 𡃴
Gan	Nanchang	氣味
Hakka	Meixian	味道, 氣味
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	味道, 氣味
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	味道, 氣味
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	味道, 氣味
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	味道, 氣味
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	味道, 氣味
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	味道, 氣味
	Hong Kong	味
Jin	Taiyuan	味氣
Northern Min	Jian'ou	味道, 氣色
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	味
Southern Min	Xiamen	味, 味素
	Quanzhou	味, 味素
	Zhangzhou	味
	Singapore (Hokkien)	味, 味素, 峇羽
	Manila (Hokkien)	味, 味素
	Chaozhou	味, 味素, 羶, 氣味
Wu	Suzhou	味道, 氣味
Wu	Wenzhou	氣道
Xiang	Changsha	氣色, 味道, 氣味
Xiang	Shuangfeng	氣色, 氣

References

(Min Nan) “味素”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.