taste

Compared meaning: a liking or preference for something (noun).

比较义项：喜好、偏爱（名词）。

• taste 本词

  Neutral, everyday word for a personal liking or preference; often used for aesthetic or general preferences, and can sound casual or mild.

  中性的日常用词，指个人的喜好或偏好；常用于审美或一般性的喜好，语气较随意或较轻。

  She has expensive taste in clothes and always buys designer labels.

  她对衣服的品味很高档，总是买名牌。

• penchant

  More formal and literary; implies a strong, almost habitual inclination toward something, often followed by 'for', and can sound slightly old-fashioned.

  更正式、更书面化；暗示一种强烈的、近乎习惯性的偏好，常与“for”搭配使用，语气略显老派。

  He has a penchant for collecting rare vintage watches from the 1960s.

  他特别喜欢收藏二十世纪六十年代的稀有古董手表。

Both words mean a liking for something. Taste is the neutral, everyday word for a personal preference, and can sound mild. Penchant is more formal, meaning a strong, habitual inclination, usually followed by 'for'. Taste can also mean food's flavor; not compared here.

两者都指对某事物的偏爱，但 penchant 语气更强、更正式，强调一种习惯性的、近乎固定的偏好；taste 则更中性、更常用，也可以只是个人的喜好倾向，语气较轻。这里不比较 taste 的“味道”义项（如汤的味道）。

Compared meaning: to try a small amount of food (verb).

比较义项：尝，品尝少量食物以了解味道（动词）。

• sample

  Emphasizes trying a small, often free, portion to judge quality or variety, typically in a store, market or promotional setting; less about the sensory act itself.

  强调以少量、常是免费的方式尝试，用来评估品质或种类，多见于商店、市场或促销场合；不太强调品尝这一感官动作本身。

  Shoppers lined up to sample the new ice cream flavors at the shop.

  顾客们排队在店里试吃新口味的冰淇淋。

• taste 本词

  Emphasizes the sensory act of perceiving or checking a food's flavor, often to judge seasoning while cooking or to describe how food tastes; a routine, food-focused action.

  强调品尝或检查食物味道这一感官动作，常用于烹饪时试调味，或描述食物本身的味道；是更日常、更聚焦于味道本身的动作。

  The chef tasted the sauce and added a little more salt.

  厨师尝了尝酱汁，又加了一点盐。

Both words mean to try food. Sample means trying a small, often free, portion to judge its quality, usually in a shop or market. Taste means using your sense of taste to check or notice a food's flavor, often while cooking.

这两个词都可以表示尝一尝食物，但sample强调以免费或少量的方式试吃，用来评估品质或了解种类，常见于商店、市场或促销场合；taste强调用味觉去感知或检查食物的味道，动作更日常，常用于烹饪时试调味或描述食物本身的味道。sample还有“抽样，取样（做调查）”等其他意义，taste还有“味觉；品味，鉴赏力”等名词义，这里都不比较。