The standard phrase for tastes bad is 难吃. But plenty of stuff tastes bad without being edible. For instance toothpaste. I performed a google search for:
难吃的牙膏
finding no exact and just one near match.
So, how to express tastes bad, when the subject is not edible?
味道不好的牙膏 ？
苦口的牙膏 ？
Perhaps only for bitter pastes?
味道不好的牙膏 ？
Yes, 味道不好 or 味道很差 would do
味道不好 (doesn't taste good) e.g. 这漱口水味道不好，像消毒酒精一般的
味道很差 (taste awful) e.g. 这口香糖味道很差，像咳嗽药水一般的
这牙膏味道不好/很差，薄荷味太重
Also: 難以入口 (too awful to put in mouth)
Example:
嚼烟草对不吸烟的人来说是难以入口的
这有苦味的口香糖真是难以入口
这有重酒精味，难以入口的漱口水也拿出来卖？
imrek wrote:
X(的)味道很难受: X tastes bad
Yes, you can substitute 不好(not good) or 很差(very bad) with 很难受 (hard to take) in the first three examples I provided
Beside 漱口水，口香糖，牙膏， 嚼烟草 and 檳榔 , I can't think of anything else with a taste that you put in the mouth but not supposed to swallow it
這牙膏的味道很差.(The taste of toothpaste is very bad.) 這 means "this", 牙膏 means "toothpaste", 牙膏的味道 means "taste of toothpaste", 很 means "very", 差 means "bad".
這牙膏的味道還真噁心.(The taste of toothpaste is very disgusting indeed.) 還 denotes "something is unexpected." 真 means "indeed". 噁心 means "distrusting".
So, how to express tastes bad, when the subject is not edible?
Because the subject is not edible. So it's not a kind of "NORMAL FOOD", right?
To express this, you can use:
衛生紙應該很難吃。
(I have never eaten toilet paper before, so I can only guess that the taste of toilet paper is bad.)
For bad tasting inedibles inadvertently introduced to the taste buds:
真恶性！
Horrible!
For inedible edibles:
这个菜馊了！
This is rancid!
Although, yesterday, I mistook the jar with monosodium glutamate for sugar and put it in my delicious 中咖 coffee! 真恶性！
