醋

cù

昔 + 酉

HSK 2.0Level 5

HSK 3.0Level 6

Definitions

cù (noun) vinegar

cù (noun) jealousy (in love rivalry)

Etymology

Aged 昔 wine 酉; wine gone sour

About

The character 醋 combines the wine jar radical 酉 with the component 昔, meaning 'past' or 'aged'. Together they evoke wine that has aged past its prime and soured, vinegar. Vinegar holds an everyday place as a sour condiment, but 醋 is equally well known for its figurative life: it conveys the sourness of jealousy, particularly romantic jealousy. The common saying 吃醋, literally 'eating vinegar', is how one says someone is feeling jealous in interpersonal relationships.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我爱吃醋。

Wǒ ài chī cù.

I love to eat vinegar.

醋在厨房里。

Cù zài chúfáng lǐ.

The vinegar is in the kitchen.

这瓶醋很酸。

Zhè píng cù hěn suān.

This bottle of vinegar is very sour.

面条里加点醋。

Miàntiáo lǐ jiā diǎn cù.

Add some vinegar to the noodles.

醋和酱油是调料。

Cù hé jiàngyóu shì tiáoliào.

Vinegar and soy sauce are condiments.

买醋要去超市。

Mǎi cù yào qù chāoshì.

You need to go to the supermarket to buy vinegar.

适量的醋有益健康。

Shìliàng de cù yǒuyì jiànkāng.

An appropriate amount of vinegar is beneficial for health.

做糖醋排骨需要醋。

Zuò tángcù páigǔ xūyào cù.

Making sweet and sour pork ribs requires vinegar.

Related Characters

Component: 昔

Component: 酉

醋