Definitions

jiǔ (noun) alcohol; wine; liquor

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

About

('alcohol' or 'wine') is a phonosemantic compound: (water) suggests the meaning, while (yǒu) gives the sound. was originally a pictograph of a wine vessel and once meant 'alcoholic beverage' before it was borrowed as a calendar sign. The water radical was added to distinguish the drink from its calendrical use and underscore its liquid character, cementing its association with wine, spirits, and fermented drinks.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我喜欢喝

Wǒ xǐhuān hē jiǔ.

I like to drink alcohol.

很好喝。

Píjiǔ hěn hǎohē.

Beer is very tasty.

晚餐时我们喝了

Wǎncān shí wǒmen hēle jiǔ.

We drank alcohol during dinner.

和白都是

Hóngjiǔ hé báijiǔ dōu shì jiǔ.

Red wine and white wine are both alcohol.

对身体不好。

Hē jiǔ duì shēntǐ bù hǎo.

Drinking alcohol is not good for health.

如果你开车,就不要喝

Rúguǒ nǐ kāichē, jiù bùyào hē jiǔ.

If you drive, you should not drink alcohol.

在派对上,他们提供了各种

Zài pàiduì shàng, tāmen tígōngle gèzhǒng jiǔ.

At the party, they provided various kinds of alcohol.

虽然能助兴,但过量饮有害健康。

Suīrán jiǔ néng zhùxìng, dàn guòliàng yǐnjiǔ yǒuhài jiànkāng.

Although alcohol can enliven the atmosphere, excessive drinking is harmful to health.