<p>這牙膏的味道很差.(The taste of toothpaste is very bad.) 這 means &quot;this&quot;, 牙膏 means &quot;toothpaste&quot;, 牙膏的味道 means &quot;taste of toothpaste&quot;, 很 means &quot;very&quot;, 差 means &quot;bad&quot;.</p>
<p>這牙膏的味道還真噁心.(The taste of toothpaste is very disgusting indeed.) 還 denotes &quot;something is unexpected.&quot; 真 means &quot;indeed&quot;. 噁心 means &quot;distrusting&quot;.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-01T08:21:03.197Z
2020-08-01T08:21:03.197Z
000
<p>For bad tasting inedibles inadvertently introduced to the taste buds:</p>
<p>真恶性！<br />
Horrible!</p>
<p>For inedible edibles:</p>
<p>这个菜馊了！<br />
This is rancid!</p>
<p>Although, yesterday, I mistook the jar with monosodium glutamate for sugar and put it in my delicious 中咖 coffee! 真恶性！</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-01T09:50:00.683Z
Do you mean 噁心 instead of 噁性?
Daniel Cheung
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-01T23:50:07.947Z
You're right! I sit too much at the computer, gone mad in this sticky heat!
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-01T09:48:08.183Z
2020-08-01T09:48:08.183Z
Pedroski
<blockquote>
<p>So, how to express tastes bad, when the subject is not edible?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Because the subject is not edible. So it's not a kind of &quot;NORMAL FOOD&quot;, right?</p>
<p>To express this, you can use:</p>
<p>衛生紙應該很難吃。</p>
<p>(I have never eaten toilet paper before, so I can only guess that the taste of toilet paper is bad.)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-01T15:59:41.153Z
2020-08-01T15:59:41.153Z
HungYu Chang
<blockquote>
<p><em>味道不好的牙膏 ？</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Yes, 味道不好 or 味道很差  would do</p>
<p>味道不好 (doesn't taste good) e.g. 这漱口水味道不好，像消毒酒精一般的</p>
<p>味道很差 (taste awful) e.g. 这口香糖味道很差，像咳嗽药水一般的</p>
<p>这牙膏味道不好/很差，薄荷味太重</p>
<p>Also: 難以入口 (too awful to put in mouth)</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>嚼烟草对不吸烟的人来说是难以入口的</p>
<p>这有苦味的口香糖真是难以入口</p>
<p>这有重酒精味，难以入口的漱口水也拿出来卖？</p>
<p>imrek wrote:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>X(的)味道很难受: X tastes bad</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Yes, you can substitute 不好(not good) or 很差(very bad) with 很难受 (hard to take) in the first three examples I provided</p>
<p><em>Beside 漱口水，口香糖，牙膏， 嚼烟草 and 檳榔 , I can't think of anything else with a taste that you put in the mouth but not supposed to swallow it</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-01T06:16:53.007Z
What is 咳药？ this comment must reach 15 characters
Ludi
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-01T06:22:41.190Z
Cantonese call 咳嗽药水 (Cough Syrup)  咳药水, It may sound funny to Mandarin speakers. We also call 消防車 (Fire truck) 火燭車
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-01T06:13:24.670Z
2020-08-01T06:40:45.600Z
2020-08-01T06:40:45.600Z
Tang Ho
<p>The standard phrase for <em>tastes bad</em> is 难吃. But plenty of stuff tastes bad without being edible. For instance toothpaste. I performed a google search for:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>难吃的牙膏</p>
</blockquote>
<p>finding no exact and just one near match.</p>
<p>So, how to express <em>tastes bad</em>, when the subject is not edible?</p>
<blockquote>
<p>味道不好的牙膏 ？</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>苦口的牙膏 ？</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Perhaps only for bitter pastes?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-01T06:10:35.983Z
X(的)味道很难受: X tastes bad.
imrek
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-01T09:49:07.360Z
As a native Chinese speaker, I stumbled upon this problem a few times in my life. I wanted to express the food was difficult to eat, but it did taste pretty good. When I said "难吃" (difficult to eat), I immediately retracted my statement, as I suddenly realized that "difficult to eat" was actually the euphemism of "tasting bad".
Daniel Cheung
<word-choice>
How to say “tastes bad” for inedibles?
# How to say “tastes bad” for inedibles?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-01)

The standard phrase for *tastes bad* is 难吃. But plenty of stuff tastes bad without being edible. For instance toothpaste. I performed a google search for:

> 难吃的牙膏

finding no exact and just one near match.

So, how to express *tastes bad*, when the subject is not edible?

> 味道不好的牙膏 ？

> 苦口的牙膏 ？

Perhaps only for bitter pastes?

**Tags:** word-choice

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: X(的)味道很难受: X tastes bad.  
> **username_2**: As a native Chinese speaker, I stumbled upon this problem a few times in my life. I wanted to express the food was difficult to eat, but it did taste pretty good. When I said "难吃" (difficult to eat), I immediately retracted my statement, as I suddenly realized that "difficult to eat" was actually the euphemism of "tasting bad".  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2020-08-01. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

> *味道不好的牙膏 ？*

Yes, 味道不好 or 味道很差 would do

味道不好 (doesn't taste good) e.g. 这漱口水味道不好，像消毒酒精一般的

味道很差 (taste awful) e.g. 这口香糖味道很差，像咳嗽药水一般的

这牙膏味道不好/很差，薄荷味太重

Also: 難以入口 (too awful to put in mouth)

Example:

嚼烟草对不吸烟的人来说是难以入口的

这有苦味的口香糖真是难以入口

这有重酒精味，难以入口的漱口水也拿出来卖？

username_1 wrote:

> *X(的)味道很难受: X tastes bad*

Yes, you can substitute 不好(not good) or 很差(very bad) with 很难受 (hard to take) in the first three examples I provided

*Beside 漱口水，口香糖，牙膏， 嚼烟草 and 檳榔 , I can't think of anything else with a taste that you put in the mouth but not supposed to swallow it*

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: What is 咳药？ this comment must reach 15 characters  
> **username_6**: Cantonese call 咳嗽药水 (Cough Syrup)  咳药水, It may sound funny to Mandarin speakers. We also call 消防車 (Fire truck) 火燭車  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-08-01. Score: 1

這牙膏的味道很差.(The taste of toothpaste is very bad.) 這 means "this", 牙膏 means "toothpaste", 牙膏的味道 means "taste of toothpaste", 很 means "very", 差 means "bad".

這牙膏的味道還真噁心.(The taste of toothpaste is very disgusting indeed.) 還 denotes "something is unexpected." 真 means "indeed". 噁心 means "distrusting".


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### Answer by username_5 on 2020-08-01. Score: 0

> So, how to express tastes bad, when the subject is not edible?

Because the subject is not edible. So it's not a kind of "NORMAL FOOD", right?

To express this, you can use:

衛生紙應該很難吃。

(I have never eaten toilet paper before, so I can only guess that the taste of toilet paper is bad.)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-08-01. Score: -2

For bad tasting inedibles inadvertently introduced to the taste buds:

真恶性！  
Horrible!

For inedible edibles:

这个菜馊了！  
This is rancid!

Although, yesterday, I mistook the jar with monosodium glutamate for sugar and put it in my delicious 中咖 coffee! 真恶性！

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Do you mean 噁心 instead of 噁性?  
> **username_4**: You're right! I sit too much at the computer, gone mad in this sticky heat!  

---

