試食 and 試飲: tasters and cups set out for sampling
Compare sampling bread and tea, customers who already tasted food, and paper cups intended for tasting. Follow a person’s prior action and an object’s purpose.
Sampling bread and asking those who tasted it
「売り場で新しいパンを試食した。」 means “I sampled the new bread at the store.” 試食 names trying the new bread. The food and the sampling action belong together, while the sentence gives no price or statement that it was free.
「試食した客から甘さについて意見を聞いた。」 means “We asked customers who tasted it for their opinions about its sweetness.” 試食した客 identifies customers who had tasted it. Their opinions about sweetness were requested, without stating that every opinion was favorable.
Sampling tea and cups intended for tasting
「店頭で新しいお茶を試飲した。」 means “I sampled the new tea at the store.” 試飲した describes trying the new tea, a drink. The bread and tea examples distinguish the food and drink involved in the two sampling activities.
「試飲用の小さな紙コップが並んでいる。」 means “Small paper cups for tasting are lined up.” 試飲用 identifies the purpose of the small paper cups. The cups are lined up for tasting; the sentence does not report customers having already tasted a drink from them.
A person’s prior action and an object’s use
In 試食した客, the tasting action describes the customers. In 試飲用の小さな紙コップ, tasting is the intended use of the cups. A person who performed an action and an object intended for an activity play different roles.
The sweetness opinions come from customers who tasted the food, while the cups are objects set out for drink tasting. Customer service or a cup arrangement alone does not establish whether the sampling was free or paid.
What does 試飲用 tell us about the paper cups, and how do their roles differ from 試食した客?
Show the answer and why
試飲用 gives the cups’ intended use for tasting a drink. 試食した客 identifies people who already sampled the food. One phrase describes an object’s purpose and the other a person’s prior action; cups being lined up does not report completed tasting.