# Icelandic: bragð, smekkur



## Gavril

Both these words are translated "taste" in some dictionaries. I think that _smekkur _can be used in the phrases "good/bad taste", etc. -- what about _bragð_?

Are there any other semantic differences between the two words?


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## Alxmrphi

*Brag*_*ð* _can definitely be used to mean good taste, for example in things like _mér finnst kjöt mjög bragðgóður_, or _þetta kaka er bragðlaus_. In my experience I've seen *að smakka *used for verbs and *bragð-* used for adjectives/nouns, I'm not sure if that reflects a common theme but replacing either option for the other would not be incorrect (I think).


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## sindridah

smekkur er good/bad taste and i would say bragð is a flavour. 

Súkkulaði bragð = chocolate flavour

vanillubragð = vanillu flavour

jarðaberjabragð = strawberry flavour


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## sindridah

sindridah said:


> smekkur er good/bad taste and i would say bragð is a flavour.
> 
> Súkkulaði bragð = chocolate flavour
> 
> vanillubragð = vanillu flavour
> 
> jarðaberjabragð = strawberry flavour


 

or is it maybe the same as you were talking about?


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## Alxmrphi

I think Gavril meant about tasting good or bad, for example if a þjónn came to your table and wanted to check everything was ok, or was asking about how nice the food was, he could say something like _Hvernig er lambakjöt á bragðið?_ (right?)

In this case it wouldn't be asking about the specific flavour, because he took the guys order (not that you get different flavours of lamb, lol, maybe a better example would have been with_* ís*_), he wants to know if the taste is good, if the person is happy with the food.

But yeah, it does mean flavour as well, Icelandic words tend to cover a more broad range of words than they do in English. Do you agree that you can use bragð(-) to talk about taste (as well as flavour?)?


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## Gavril

Alxmrphi said:


> I think Gavril meant about tasting good or bad, for example if a þjónn came to your table and wanted to check everything was ok, or was asking about how nice the food was, he could say something like _Hvernig er lambakjöt á bragðið?_ (right?)



Actually, by "good/bad taste" I meant "good/bad taste in music/art/films/etc.", not "good/bad taste" as a property of food or drink. Apologies for being unclear.

For example, _smekkleysi_ means "tastelessness", but (as far as I know) you can only use this to talk about people with no taste (or artwork that reflects the artist's lack of taste, etc.), not about food or drink that has no taste. What about the word _bragðleysi_?


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## Silver_Biscuit

Yep, the adjectives are distinct. *Smekklaus* means *tasteless*, *in poor taste*, whereas *bragðlaus* means *flavourless*, *bland*. *Smekklegur* = tasteful, *bragðgóður* = tasty. The verbs confuse me - I think maybe one is used more for 'to taste (something)' and one is more for 'to taste (of something)' but I don't really know. I think the noun *smekkur* can mean good taste _or_ flavour, and *bragð* is more just flavour.


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## sindridah

About *Smekklegur* it is suppose to mean tasteful but it isn't really used in that kind of way today. Young people use *Smekklegur* today regarding the looks really. Let's say i would dress up in a suit and be very you know fancy or something like that i would definitely get this comment "Hvað voða ertu smekklegur í kvöld" from my pears.

I don't really know what verbs you're talking about Silver that confuses you?

p.s Another eruption is imminent! WEEEE!


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## Silver_Biscuit

Thanks for the elaboration, Sindri. I meant the verbs *að smakka *and *að bragða*. Which one would I use, and how, if I wanted to say:

The meat tastes good.
The meat tastes of fish.
I tasted the meat.


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## sindridah

Kjötið bragðast vel;present / Kjötið bragðaðist vel;peterit

Kjötið bragðast eins og fiskur / kjötið bragðaðist eins og fiskur

Ég smakkaði kjötið.


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## Gavril

Interesting how English is the opposite of Icelandic in this respect:

_The meat *smacks* of fish_ = "The meat tastes of fish"

but

_I *smacked* the meat _= "I slapped the meat", not "I tasted the meat"

(Of course, _smack _is a pretty rare verb to use with the meaning "taste", at least in Modern English.)


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## kepulauan

They are quite easily distinguished. _Bragð_ has to do with the physical sensation in the mouth but _smekkur_ is the preference or other mental perception of something.

All the derivatives I can see in previous posts follow this but sometimes these words are not used literally, like:
_Að komast á bragðið_ (to develop a taste for something by repetition, sounds a bit like stumbling across an animal track)
_Það er óbragð af þessu máli_ (this business gives me a sour flavour)

You can see that _smakka_ an _smökkun_ are quite different from _smekkur_.


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## Gavril

What about _keimur_? Is this word mostly synonymous with _bragð_, or is it used in different (or more restricted) contexts?


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## kepulauan

_Keimur_ is a _scent_ or a _trace_ of something. Like when a beer has a touch of orange or caramel to it, but there is probably no such ingredient.


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