Die Medizin schmeckt bitter.

to taste

Breakdown of Die Medizin schmeckt bitter.

• die Medizin: the medicine
• bitter: bitter

Questions & Answers about Die Medizin schmeckt bitter.

What does schmeckt mean exactly, and which form of the verb is it?

Schmeckt comes from the verb schmecken, which means “to taste” (in the sense of having a certain taste).

In Die Medizin schmeckt bitter.

• schmeckt = 3rd person singular, present tense of schmecken
• So literally: “The medicine tastes bitter.”

Basic present tense forms of schmecken:

• ich schmecke – I taste
• du schmeckst – you taste (singular, informal)
• er/sie/es schmeckt – he/she/it tastes
• wir schmecken – we taste
• ihr schmeckt – you taste (plural, informal)
• sie schmecken – they taste / you taste (formal)

Why do we say schmeckt bitter and not ist bitter?

Both are possible, but they’re used a bit differently:

• Die Medizin schmeckt bitter.
  Focus: How it tastes when you consume it (on the tongue, in the mouth).
  This is the normal, idiomatic way to talk about taste.

• Die Medizin ist bitter.
  More general statement: the medicine is a bitter thing.
  You can say this, but in the context of actually tasting something, Germans strongly prefer schmecken.

So if you’re talking about flavor in the mouth, use:

• Es schmeckt bitter. – It tastes bitter.

Why is it die Medizin? What gender is Medizin, and is there a rule?