-ness; a touch of; a tinge of
Attaches to the stem of an i-adjective to form a noun expressing the quality or feeling of that adjective. Often translates to '-ness' or '-th', but can also convey a subtle sense of 'a touch/tinge of'. The kanji 味 is an ateji and not used in practice.
This soup lacks sweetness.
Rare suffix that attaches to adjective stems to indicate a place characterized by that quality. Mostly found in fixed expressions or place names; not freely productive in modern Japanese.
alternating between ... and ...; sometimes ... and sometimes ...
Poetic pattern using ...み...み after the -masu stems of two verbs with opposite meanings, or after the -masu stem and -zu form of the same verb. Expresses alternating or fluctuating actions. Rare and literary.
This work has a certain human touch to it.
There was warmth in his words.
高み means a high place, but in modern Japanese it appears mainly in set phrases like 高みの見物 (looking on from a safe height).
The weather keeps alternating between raining and not raining.
I felt a warmth in his words.
As time passed, the flavor gained more depth.
み and さ both turn an adjective stem into a noun, but み gives a subjective, felt quality (甘み, the taste of sweetness) while さ gives an objective, measurable one (甘さ, degree of sweetness).
Derived from the nominalizer み found in Old Japanese, originally used to form abstract nouns from adjectives. The kanji 味 is an ateji (phonetic borrowing) and not related to the meaning 'taste'.
eerie; creepy; ominous; uncanny
gang; ring; clique; conspirators · participation in a plot; being in league with · one flavor; one charm · one ingredient (in traditional Chinese medicine) · universality of Buddha's teachings
seasoning; flavoring
relish; savor; appreciation
sweetness; sweet taste · sweets; dessert; cake
sense of taste; palate
unpleasantness; nastiness; tastelessness · cutting remark; sarcastic comment; snide remark
mirin; sweet cooking rice wine
sourness; acidity
real pleasure; true charm; essence of enjoyment · flavor of ghee; delicious taste (figurative) · Buddha's gracious teachings
shamisen; three-stringed Japanese lute
seasoning; flavoring; adding flavor · taking into account; factoring in; inclusion
bitterness; bitter taste
sense of reality; realism; authenticity; viability
condiment; spice; seasoning
pungency; spiciness; sharp taste
humanity; human warmth; human touch
net; actual; full · net weight · net price; cost price · actual content; substantive part; useful part
seven flavors; seven delicious tastes · shichimi; Japanese seven-spice blend
freshness; novelty
delicacy; rare treat