01
der Gaumen
palate
The upper wall of the oral cavity, which separates the mouth from the nasal cavity.
example
Die heiße Suppe hat mir den Gaumen verbrannt.
The hot soup burned my palate.
der Gaumen
palate
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 02
Usage tips
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning from the context. If it is about the body, medicine, or a physical sensation such as pain, it refers to the part of the mouth. If people are talking about enjoyment, food, and drink, it refers to the sense of taste.
EXAMPLE
Beim Sprechen berührt die Zunge den Gaumen.
When speaking, the tongue touches the palate.
Typical collocations
In the anatomical meaning, 'Gaumen' (palate) is often connected with physical sensations or descriptions, for example 'sich den Gaumen verbrennen' (to burn one's palate) or in the terms 'harter Gaumen' (hard palate) and 'weicher Gaumen' (soft palate).
EXAMPLE
Sei vorsichtig, der Käse ist sehr heiß und du könntest dir den Gaumen verbrennen.
Be careful, the cheese is very hot and you could burn your palate.
Typical collocations
In the figurative meaning of the sense of taste, 'Gaumen' (palate) is often used in positive expressions. Typical phrases are 'ein Genuss für den Gaumen' (a delight for the palate), 'eine Gaumenfreude' (a culinary delight), or 'einen feinen Gaumen haben' (to have a refined palate).
EXAMPLE
Für Feinschmecker ist dieses Menü ein besonderer Genuss für den Gaumen.
For gourmets, this menu is a special delight for the palate.
Elevated style
Using 'Gaumen' (palate) for the sense of taste belongs to a rather elevated, sometimes poetic style of language. You often read it in restaurant reviews, cookbooks, or food advertising.
EXAMPLE
Der Chefkoch kreiert immer wieder neue Überraschungen für den anspruchsvollen Gaumen.
The head chef keeps creating new surprises for the discerning palate.
Compare with
Gaumen vs Geschmack
taste
'der Geschmack' and 'der Gaumen' can both have to do with perceiving food and drinks. 'Geschmack' is the normal word for what you taste in your mouth, or for the flavor of a food. 'Gaumen' is actually a body part in the mouth, but it is used figuratively for a refined sense of taste. In this sense, 'Gaumen' sounds somewhat elevated and fits especially when someone can judge food or drinks well. Learners may confuse the words because both come up in the context of eating. In everyday language, you usually say 'Geschmack'; 'Gaumen' is used more when it is about enjoyment and subtle differences.
Gaumen
Dieser Käse ist etwas Besonderes für einen feinen Gaumen.
This cheese is something special for a refined palate.
Geschmack
Der Geschmack der Suppe ist mild, aber etwas Salz fehlt noch.
The taste of the soup is mild, but it still needs a little salt.
In real life
Loading video examples...