sei3 mei6四味
Jyutpingsei3 mei6
Yalesei meih
Definition
Four types of flavors.
colloquialfood
How it's used
While literally translating to four flavors, this expression is used idiomatically to describe a dish or a meal that is well balanced and complex in taste. It implies a sophisticated blend of seasonings rather than just a single dominant profile. It is often used to compliment a home cook for their ability to create depth in their food.
Examples
The dishes at this restaurant have a great variety of flavors.
Your cooking has so many different flavors, where did you learn it?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not interpret this as literally containing exactly four specific ingredients or flavors. It is a general term for culinary variety and depth, so using it to describe a simple dish with only one flavor will sound confusing to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
