Several parts combine into one character.

Phonetic-semantic compound: 口 (mouth) + 未 (not yet / future, providing phonetic value). The poetic encoding: "what is in the mouth but not yet fully resolved" — the lingering process of tasting. Flavor reveals itself over time on the tongue. Identical across 繁體 / 新字体 / 简体.

The character covers physical taste AND a critical metaphorical extension: "interest / curiosity / meaning" (something you "taste" with your mind).

Mandarin: wèi, falling 4th tone. 味道 (wèidao, taste / flavor — neutral final tone, the everyday word for "taste"; also slang for "atmosphere / vibe": 这个咖啡馆有味道 = "this café has a vibe"), 美味 (měiwèi, delicious), 趣味 (qùwèi, interest / fun), 口味 (kǒuwèi, taste preference), 调味 (tiáowèi, to season).

Japanese: on-reading ミ (mi) — 味覚 (mikaku, sense of taste — the gustatory sense among 五感 five senses), 興味 (kyōmi, interest — extremely high-frequency word: 興味がある = "I'm interested"), 趣味 (shumi, hobby — used constantly in self-introductions: 私の趣味は... = "my hobby is..."), 意味 (imi, meaning — also among the most-used Japanese words: 意味がない = "meaningless"). Kun-reading あじ (aji) is the everyday word — 味 (aji, flavor), 味見 (ajimi, taste-testing), 味噌 (miso, the iconic Japanese fermented soybean paste — note: 味噌汁 misoshiru, miso soup, is daily Japanese cuisine vocabulary).

Three everyday Japanese words 興味 (interest), 趣味 (hobby), 意味 (meaning) all use 味 with the same metaphorical extension: meaning/interest is something the mind "tastes". Mastering this trio is essential for self-introduction and conversation.

Memory aid: mouth + the not-yet — the lingering moment of taste in language and food.