der  Geschmack

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ɡəˈʃmak/

👅 What does "der Geschmack" mean?

The German word der Geschmack primarily has two meanings:

1. Sense of taste (literal): The ability to perceive sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami sensations with the tongue. Also refers to the specific flavour of a food or drink. Example: Der Kuchen hat einen süßen Geschmack. (The cake has a sweet taste.) 🍰
2. Sense of aesthetics/style (figurative): The ability to recognize and appreciate beauty or style, often concerning art, fashion, interior design, or behaviour. Example: Sie hat einen guten Geschmack bei Kleidung. (She has good taste in clothes.) 👗

It is a masculine noun, hence it is always der Geschmack.

🧐 Grammar in Detail: Der Geschmack

"Der Geschmack" is a masculine noun. Here is its declension:

Example Sentences 📝

• Der Geschmack dieser Suppe ist ausgezeichnet. (The taste of this soup is excellent.)
• Sein Geschmack in Bezug auf Musik ist sehr speziell. (His taste in music is very particular.)
• Über Geschmack lässt sich (nicht) streiten. (There's no accounting for taste. / Taste is debatable.)
• Das ist nicht nach meinem Geschmack. (That's not to my liking/taste.)
• Die verschiedenen Geschmäcker von Eis sind vielfältig. (The different flavours/tastes of ice cream are diverse.)

💡 How "Geschmack" is used

Context is Key

• Culinary context: Here, "Geschmack" refers directly to what we taste. One speaks of süßem, saurem, salzigem, bitterem Geschmack (sweet, sour, salty, bitter taste) or describes specific flavours (ein fruchtiger Geschmack - a fruity taste, ein nussiger Geschmack - a nutty taste).
• Aesthetic/Social context: This concerns preferences and style. Someone can have guten Geschmack (good taste) or schlechten Geschmack (bad taste). Something can be geschmackvoll (tasteful) or geschmacklos (tasteless). The phrase "Das ist Geschmackssache" means it's subjective and depends on personal preference ('It's a matter of taste').

Common Idioms

• auf den Geschmack kommen: to acquire a taste for something, to get into something.
• einen Geschmack an etwas finden: similar to "auf den Geschmack kommen".
• Geschmack beweisen: to show that one has style/good taste.
• einen bitteren Geschmack hinterlassen: to leave a bad feeling or memory (lit. 'to leave a bitter taste').

⚠️ Be aware: The plural "die Geschmäcker" is less common and can sound somewhat elevated or specific (e.g., when describing different types of cheese). In the context of style and aesthetics, the singular is more usual ("unterschiedlicher Geschmack" - different taste/style, rather than "unterschiedliche Geschmäcker").

🧠 Mnemonics for "Geschmack"

Mnemonic for the article:

Imagine a stylish man ('Der Mann') who has great Geschmack (taste). He has *the* taste -> Der Geschmack.

Mnemonic for the meaning(s):

Think of things you 'schmeck' (taste) with your tongue 👅, and things that look 'schick' (chic/stylish) 🧥. Both relate to Geschmack.

🔄 Similar and Opposite Words

🚨 Potential Confusion?

• Geruch (smell): Refers to the sense of smell, not taste, although the two often work together (Aroma).
• Meinung (opinion): While taste (aesthetic) is a type of opinion, not every opinion is taste. Geschmack is more specific to aesthetics.

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der eine Freund den anderen: "Sag mal, findest du, ich habe einen guten Geschmack bei Frauen?"
Sagt der andere: "Keine Ahnung, ich habe deine Frau noch nie probiert!"

Translation:
One friend asks the other: "Say, do you think I have good taste in women?"
The other says: "I don't know, I've never tasted your wife!"

(A pun playing on the two meanings of Geschmack: taste/flavour vs. taste/style.)

📜 Poetry about Taste

Der Geschmack, so fein und zart,
Mal süß, mal herb, ganz eigner Art.
Auf Zunge tanzt er, froh und leicht,
Ein Sinn, der uns das Leben reicht.

Doch auch im Stil, im Augenschein,
Soll guter Geschmack vorhanden sein.
Was schön ist, was gefällt und passt,
Ist oft nur eine Frage der Last...
...der Vorlieben, die jeder hegt,
Ein Urteil, das die Seele pflegt.

Translation:
The taste, so fine and tender,
Sometimes sweet, sometimes tart, of its own kind.
On the tongue it dances, happy and light,
A sense that life gives us.

But also in style, in appearance,
Good taste should be present.
What is beautiful, what pleases and fits,
Is often just a question of the burden...
...of preferences that everyone holds,
A judgment that nurtures the soul.

❓ Riddle Time

Ich wohne auf der Zunge dein,
Mach' Essen bitter, süß und fein.
Ich zeig' auch, was dir gut gefällt,
In Mode, Kunst und auf der Welt.

Wer bin ich?
... Der Geschmack

Translation:
I live upon your tongue,
Make food bitter, sweet, and fine.
I also show what you like well,
In fashion, art, and in the world.

Who am I?
... Taste (der Geschmack)

✨ More Fun Facts

Word Origin (Etymology)

The word "Geschmack" derives from the verb "schmecken" (to taste). The prefix "Ge-" is often used in German to form nouns from verbs, and can express a totality or a result (compare Ge-ruch from riechen (smell), Ge-fühl from fühlen (feel)).

Trivia

• The five basic tastes are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. Spicy isn't technically a taste; it's a pain/temperature reaction registered by nerves.
• "Über Geschmack lässt sich streiten" (Taste is debatable) is the more common version of the idiom in modern German, although the original was "Über Geschmack lässt sich nicht streiten" (Latin: De gustibus non est disputandum - There's no arguing about taste), meaning that judgments of taste are subjective and thus offer no basis for rational dispute.