Chinese word

酒

Pronunciation

Pinyinjiǔ

Meaning

  • nounalcohol

Example

他不太喜欢喝酒。tā bú tài xǐ huān hē jiǔ

He does not really like drinking alcohol.

Illustration for 酒 (alcohol)

More examples

他在聚会上喝了很多酒。tā zài jù huì shàng hē le hěn duō jiǔ

He drank a lot of alcohol at the party.

Core concept

A drink born from fermentation that serves as a broad label for alcoholic beverages, from mild drinks to potent spirits.

Common phrases

  • 喝酒hē jiǔ

    drink alcohol

  • 买酒mǎi jiǔ

    buy alcohol

Similar words

啤酒pí jiǔ: A foamy, mild alcoholic drink made by fermenting grains such as barley.
白酒bái jiǔ: A clear, strong Chinese spirit made by fermenting and distilling grains.
葡萄酒pú táo jiǔ: An alcoholic drink made by fermenting grapes.
饮料yǐn liào: A drinkable liquid, including water, juice, and other drinks without alcohol.

Definition in Chinese

本义为通过发酵产生的含酒精液体，现代汉语中也可泛指各类酒类产品。běn yì wèi tōng guò fā jiào chǎn shēng de hán jiǔ jīng yè tǐ xiàn dài hàn yǔ zhōng yě kě fàn zhǐ gè lèi jiǔ lèi chán pǐn

Word origin

The character 酒 (jiǔ, "alcohol") combines 氵 (shuǐ, "water") + 酉 (yǒu, "wine vessel"), reflecting an alcoholic liquid and its traditional brewing context.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, 酒 (jiǔ, "alcohol") can describe the drink category without naming a particular variety, while a specific name is added when the type matters in a shop or restaurant.

Other meanings

  • liquornoun

Related words

Word lists with this word