酸

suān

夋 + 酉

HSK 2.0Level 4

HSK 3.0Level 4

Definitions

suān (adjective) sour; tart

suān (adjective) aching; sore

suān (adjective) sad; grieved

suān (noun) acid

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 酉 represents the meaning and 夋 represents the sound.

About

酸 is a phonosemantic compound: 酉, a pictograph of a wine vessel associated with fermentation, provides the meaning, while 夋 (qūn) gives the sound. Originally it denoted the sharp, tart flavor of wine that had soured into vinegar. From this culinary origin, the meaning extended to chemical acids, physical sensations like muscular ache or soreness, and emotions such as grief, sorrow, or bitterness.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Warring States (475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个柠檬很酸。

Zhe ge níng méng hěn suān.

This lemon is very sour.

酸奶对身体有益。

Suān nǎi duì shēn tǐ yǒu yì.

Yogurt is good for health.

我吃酸菜鱼了。

Wǒ chī suān cài yú le.

I ate sour cabbage fish.

运动后肌肉酸痛。

Yùn dòng hòu jī ròu suān tòng.

Muscles ache after exercise.

酸雨对环境有害。

Suān yǔ duì huán jìng yǒu hài.

Acid rain is harmful to the environment.

这种水果有点酸。

Zhè zhǒng shuǐ guǒ yǒu diǎn suān.

This kind of fruit is a bit sour.

他心里酸溜溜的。

Tā xīn lǐ suān liū liū de.

He feels sour in his heart (jealous or sad).

化学实验中使用酸液。

Huà xué shí yàn zhōng shǐ yòng suān yè.

Acid solution is used in chemical experiments.

Related Characters

Component: 夋

Component: 酉

酸