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Both can mean to sample food, but "taste" emphasizes the flavor; "try" emphasizes the first-time experience.
Side-by-side comparison
To attempt something or to sample something for the first time to see if you like it. Does not necessarily imply discussing flavor.
You should try the ceviche here. It is the best in the city.
Have you ever tried skydiving? I want to do it before I turn forty.
She tried on the dress but it did not fit well.
To perceive the flavor of something. As a noun: the flavor itself or the capacity to appreciate good taste.
Taste this soup and tell me if it needs more salt.
The wine tastes slightly fruity with hints of oak.
She has excellent taste in interior design. Her apartment is stunning.
Common mistake
- •"Taste this restaurant" when meaning the full experience sounds odd (correct: try).
- •"Taste" focuses on the flavor itself: "Taste this and tell me what you think." "Try" focuses on the experience: "Try this restaurant" (the full experience, not just the flavor).
Trick to remember it
Are you focusing on the flavor specifically? "Taste." Are you focusing on the experience of trying something new? "Try." To ask for a flavor opinion: "Taste this." To recommend a new experience: "Try this."
Quick rule
- •Try = sample for the first time / attempt (full experience).
- •Taste = sample to evaluate flavor / have a particular flavor.
Did you know?
"Taste" is both a physical sense and a matter of judgment: "this soup tastes salty" and "she has great taste in music". English, like many European languages, uses the idea of tasting for appreciating quality, which shows how closely flavor and aesthetic judgment are linked. As a verb, "taste" can also mean to have a flavor ("it tastes like lemon"), which "try" cannot do.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
Would you like to _____ the cake? I just baked it.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
This soup _____ s amazing. What did you put in it?
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One is the verb meaning to perceive sound; the other indicates this location.
Both can mean 'parecer', but one is based on visual appearance and the other on general impression.
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
'Currently' means 'at the present time'; 'actually' means 'in reality', not 'nowadays'.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy