Frame description

The words in this frame have to do with an Experiencer perceiving tastes and smells of a Source. The Source can be a variety of items like foods and drinks, flowers, air, etc. The Descriptors (e.g. sweet or pungent) describe the tastes and smells that can be perceived from the Source. The Attribute describes the kind of perception, i.e. if it is a taste sensation, a smell sensation or both. 

 Examples:

1. Der Kuchen war sehr süß.   1. The cake was very sweet.  
2. Viele Kinder mögen scharfes  Essen nicht.   2. Many children do not like spicy  food.   
3. Ein säuerlicher  Geruch  strömt ihnen entgegen.  3. A slightly sour smell  wafts toward them.  

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Examples
Grammar Notes
Sentence Templates
Alternate Forms

Frame Elements

Frame Element descriptions (on hover):

Source

This frame element is the Source of the taste and / or the smell.

 

Descriptor

The Descriptor names or describes the tastes and smells of the Source.

Attribute

The Attribute names what kind of sensory perception it is, i.e. the taste or the smell.

Experiencer

The Experiencer is the entity who smells and / or tastes the Source.

Details
Examples
Grammar Notes
Sentence Templates
Alternate Forms
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beißend adjective pungent, putrid

Details:

pungent, putrid

"Beißend" (lit. "biting") is the present participle of the verb "beißen" ("to bite") and is used as an adjective or adverb metaphorically in this frame to describe a pungent, putrid smell, and less often, a very spicy, hot taste. It has a rather negative meaning.

Essigsäure hat einen beißenden Geruch. / Acetic acid has a pungent smell.

W. Oelen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Further details:

German speakers use "beißend" often metaphorically as in "eine beißende Kritik" (lit. "a biting criticism," "a harsh criticism") or "beißender Spott" (lit. "biting mockery," "sarcasm").

More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language:

„beißen“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/bei%C3%9Fen>, abgerufen am 04.10.2021.

 

"Beißen" is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat B1.

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Example Sentences:

  1. Die Luft riecht beißend  nach Schwefel.
  2. Buttersäure hat einen beißenden  Geruch.
  3. Schwarze Pfefferkörner haben einen beißenden  Geschmack.
  4. Das war Ursache des beißenden  Geruchs: Sie hatte kurz zuvor Sauerkraut gekocht.
  5. Sie spürte den beißenden  Geruch.
  6. Es roch immer so beißend, dass Meggie husten musste.
  1. The air smells pungently  of sulfur.
  2. Butyric acid has a putrid  smell.
  3. Black peppercorns have a very spicy  taste.
  4. That was the source of the pungent  smell: she had shortly before sauerkraut cooked.
  5. She sensed the pungent  smell.
  6. It still smelled so pungent  that Meggie had to cough.
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Templates with Frame Elements:

  1. SOURCE riecht beißend.
  2. SOURCE hat beißenden Geruch.
  3. SOURCE hat beißenden Geschmack.
  1. SOURCE smells pungent.
  2. SOURCE has pungent smell.
  3. SOURCE has a very spicy / pungent taste.
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Details:

pungent, putrid

"Beißend" (lit. "biting") is the present participle of the verb "beißen" ("to bite") and is used as an adjective or adverb metaphorically in this frame to describe a pungent, putrid smell, and less often, a very spicy, hot taste. It has a rather negative meaning.

Essigsäure hat einen beißenden Geruch. / Acetic acid has a pungent smell.

W. Oelen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Further details:

German speakers use "beißend" often metaphorically as in "eine beißende Kritik" (lit. "a biting criticism," "a harsh criticism") or "beißender Spott" (lit. "biting mockery," "sarcasm").

More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language:

„beißen“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/bei%C3%9Fen>, abgerufen am 04.10.2021.

 

"Beißen" is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat B1.

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Alternate Forms:

beißender, am beißendsten
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bitter adjective bitter

Details:

bitter

"Bitter" is one of the four (or five) basic tastes humans can perceive (sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, umami (Japanese)). It is used like its English equivalent "bitter." A Source is "bitter" when it has a taste comparable to bile (the secretion of the gall bladder) and it is often perceived as unpleasant and/or disagreeable by the Experiencer. There are, however, Sources that are bitter and pleasant to some Experiencers, for instance coffee, cocoa (as in dark chocolate ("bittere Schokolade"), beer (specifically, the hops), and tonic water, among others.

Zitronenschale schmeckt bitter. / Lemon zest tastes bitter.

Pixabay license, via Pixabay.com

Further details:

Word formation:

"bittersüß" ("bittersweet"), "die Bitterschokolade" ("dark chocolate"), "zartbitter" (lit. "gently bitter"), "edelbitter" (lit. "classy bitter") and "halbbitter" (lit. "half bitter;" the three words "zart- / edel- / halbbitter" meaning "dark" in "dark chocolate:" "die Zartbitterschokolade," "die Edelbitterschokolade," "die Halbbitterschokolade;" they have slightly different percentages of cocoa), "der Bitterstoff" ("bitter substance"), among others.

Synonyms:

"gallig," "herb"

Idiom:

Note that when German speakers use the same idiomatic expression "eine bittere Pille (schlucken)" like English speakers: "(to swallow) a bitter pill" a different frame is evoked: the phrase means that something is unpleasant but cannot be avoided, e.g. "Die Länder müssen die bittere Pille schlucken und Reformen akzeptieren." ("The states must swallow the bitter pill and accept reforms.").

"Bitter" is also used in German to amplify or intensify the meaning of an adjective, e.g. "bitterkalt" ("bitterly cold"), "bitterarm" ("very, extremely poor"), "bitterböse" ("very angry"), "bitterernst" ("very serious").

More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language:

„bitter“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/bitter>, abgerufen am 04.10.2021.

 

This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat A1.

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Example Sentences:

  1. Ungesüßter Kakao ist bitter.
  2. Die Medizin schmeckt bitter.
  3. Der Kaffee war ihm zu bitter.
  4. Die Medizin hat einen bitteren  Geschmack.
  5. Die Blätter verströmen einen bitteren  Geruch.
  6. Viele Leute denken, Tee schmeckt langweilig und bitter.
  7. Wenn Zucchini bitter  schmecken, sollten Sie die Früchte auf keinen Fall essen.
  8. Der Kaffee schmeckt bitter. 
  1. Unsweetened cocoa is bitter.
  2. The medicine tastes bitter.
  3. The coffee was too bitter for him.
  4. The medicine has a bitter  taste.
  5. The leaves give off a bitter  smell.
  6. Many people think tea tastes boring and bitter.
  7. If zucchini taste bitter, you should under no circumstances eat them.
  8. The coffee tastes bitter.
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Templates with Frame Elements:

  1. SOURCE ist (nicht) bitter.
  2. SOURCE schmeckt bitter.
  3. SOURCE ist EXPERIENCER.dative zu bitter.
  4. [bitter- SOURCE]
  5. [bitter- ATTRIBUTE]
  1. SOURCE is (not) bitter.
  2. SOURCE tastes bitter.
  3. SOURCE is too bitter for EXPERIENCER.
  4. [bitter SOURCE]
  5. [bitter ATTRIBUTE]
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Details:

bitter

"Bitter" is one of the four (or five) basic tastes humans can perceive (sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, umami (Japanese)). It is used like its English equivalent "bitter." A Source is "bitter" when it has a taste comparable to bile (the secretion of the gall bladder) and it is often perceived as unpleasant and/or disagreeable by the Experiencer. There are, however, Sources that are bitter and pleasant to some Experiencers, for instance coffee, cocoa (as in dark chocolate ("bittere Schokolade"), beer (specifically, the hops), and tonic water, among others.

Zitronenschale schmeckt bitter. / Lemon zest tastes bitter.

Pixabay license, via Pixabay.com

Further details:

Word formation:

"bittersüß" ("bittersweet"), "die Bitterschokolade" ("dark chocolate"), "zartbitter" (lit. "gently bitter"), "edelbitter" (lit. "classy bitter") and "halbbitter" (lit. "half bitter;" the three words "zart- / edel- / halbbitter" meaning "dark" in "dark chocolate:" "die Zartbitterschokolade," "die Edelbitterschokolade," "die Halbbitterschokolade;" they have slightly different percentages of cocoa), "der Bitterstoff" ("bitter substance"), among others.

Synonyms:

"gallig," "herb"

Idiom:

Note that when German speakers use the same idiomatic expression "eine bittere Pille (schlucken)" like English speakers: "(to swallow) a bitter pill" a different frame is evoked: the phrase means that something is unpleasant but cannot be avoided, e.g. "Die Länder müssen die bittere Pille schlucken und Reformen akzeptieren." ("The states must swallow the bitter pill and accept reforms.").

"Bitter" is also used in German to amplify or intensify the meaning of an adjective, e.g. "bitterkalt" ("bitterly cold"), "bitterarm" ("very, extremely poor"), "bitterböse" ("very angry"), "bitterernst" ("very serious").

More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language:

„bitter“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/bitter>, abgerufen am 04.10.2021.

 

This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat A1.

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Alternate Forms:

bitterer, am bittersten
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blumig adjective flowery

Details:

flowery

The adjective "blumig" is, like its English equivalent "flowery," derived from the noun "die Blume" ("flower") and means (in this frame) that a Source is smelling of flowers or has a flower aroma or flavor (like for instance wine). It typically conveys a pleasant perception, e.g. "Das reine Leinöl muss einen angenehmen, blumigen Geruch haben." ("The pure linseed oil must have a pleasant, flowery smell.").

As in English, "blumig" is more often used for smells, but it can also describe the taste of a Source, e.g. "Das Püree ist leicht süßlich ist und hat einen fruchtigen, blumigen Geschmack." ("The puree is slightly sweet and has a fruity, flowery taste."). Common nouns described as "blumig" are: "Duft" ("fragrance"),  "Aroma" ("aroma"), "Geruch" ("smell"), "Note" ("note," "characteristic"), and "Geschmack" ("taste").

Das Parfüm hat einen blumigen Duft. / The parfume has a flowery fragrance.

Pixabay license, via Pixabay.com

Further details:

More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language:

„blumig“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/blumig>, abgerufen am 04.10.2021.

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Example Sentences:

  1. Der Geruch des Weines ist würzig und frisch, aber auch blumig.
  2. Der Geschmack ist viel blumiger und nicht so scharf wie der von anderen Kakao-Sorten.
  3. Der Karani-Kaffee aus Kenia wird hier als "blumig und fruchtig" angepriesen.
  4. Die Duftkerzen haben einen schweren, blumigen Geruch.
  5. Im asiatischen Raum zieht man dezente, blumige, leichte Düfte vor.
  6. Ein Obstbrand kann holzig oder würzig, aber auch blumig oder fruchtig sein.
  7. Er sagt, Schweizer Käse habe einen feinen, blumigen Geschmack. 
  1. The smell of the wine is aromatic and fresh but also flowery.
  2. The taste is much more flowery and not as harsh as that of other cocoa varieties.
  3. The Karani coffee from Kenya is being promoted here as "flowery and fruity."
  4. The scented candles have a heavy, flowery smell.
  5. In Asia one prefers discreet, flowery, light fragrances.
  6. A brandy can be woody or spiced, but also flowery or fruity.
  7. He says that Swiss cheese has a fine, flowery taste.
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Templates with Frame Elements:

  1. ATTRIBUTE ist blumig.
  2. SOURCE hat blumigen Geschmack.
  3. SOURCE hat blumigen Geruch.
  4. [blumig- ATTRIBUTE]
  1. ATTRIBUTE is flowery.
  2. SOURCE has flowery taste.
  3. SOURCE has flowery smell.
  4. [flowery ATTRIBUTE]
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Details:

flowery

The adjective "blumig" is, like its English equivalent "flowery," derived from the noun "die Blume" ("flower") and means (in this frame) that a Source is smelling of flowers or has a flower aroma or flavor (like for instance wine). It typically conveys a pleasant perception, e.g. "Das reine Leinöl muss einen angenehmen, blumigen Geruch haben." ("The pure linseed oil must have a pleasant, flowery smell.").

As in English, "blumig" is more often used for smells, but it can also describe the taste of a Source, e.g. "Das Püree ist leicht süßlich ist und hat einen fruchtigen, blumigen Geschmack." ("The puree is slightly sweet and has a fruity, flowery taste."). Common nouns described as "blumig" are: "Duft" ("fragrance"),  "Aroma" ("aroma"), "Geruch" ("smell"), "Note" ("note," "characteristic"), and "Geschmack" ("taste").

Das Parfüm hat einen blumigen Duft. / The parfume has a flowery fragrance.

Pixabay license, via Pixabay.com

Further details:

More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language:

„blumig“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/blumig>, abgerufen am 04.10.2021.

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Alternate Forms:

blumiger, am blumigsten
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Duft, der noun fragrance, scent

Details:

scent, fragrance

"Der Duft" is a pleasant smell, at least in the perception of an Experiencer who refers to a smell with these words. German "der Duft" is not a synonym for perfume like "fragrance" in English and therefore, seems to have a wider range of usage: basically everything that smells good can be a "Duft:" "ein Duft nach frischem Heu" ("a smell of fresh hay"), "der Duft von frischem Brot" ("the scent of freshly baked bread"), etc. However, "der Duft" can be used metaphorically in the perfume sense, e.g. "Hier kann man Düfte, Seifen, Zahnpaste, und vieles mehr kaufen." ("Here one can buy scents, soaps, toothpaste, and much more.").

Der herrliche Duft von Flieder /  the wonderful smell of lilac