Definitions

suān (adjective) sour; tart
suān (adjective) aching; sore
suān (adjective) sad; grieved
suān (noun) acid

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

About

The character "酸" structurally integrates the radical "酉", which historically references wine vessels and processes of fermentation, with the component "夋", serving as a phonetic guide while also implying a sense of gradual development, thereby etymologically pointing to sour flavors arising from fermented substances like vinegar or aged wine. Its primary meaning of sour taste naturally extended over time to describe the chemical category of acids, and later acquired figurative dimensions in literary and colloquial use, where it came to express sensations of heartache, poignant sadness, or even pedantic stiffness, demonstrating a shift from concrete gustatory experience to abstract emotional and descriptive domains.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Warring States (475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个柠檬很

Zhe ge níng méng hěn suān.

This lemon is very sour.

奶对身体有益。

Suān nǎi duì shēn tǐ yǒu yì.

Yogurt is good for health.

我吃菜鱼了。

Wǒ chī suān cài yú le.

I ate sour cabbage fish.

运动后肌肉痛。

Yùn dòng hòu jī ròu suān tòng.

Muscles ache after exercise.

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

Zhè zhǒng shuǐ guǒ yǒu diǎn suān.

This kind of fruit is a bit sour.

他心里溜溜的。

Tā xīn lǐ suān liū liū de.

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

化学实验中使用液。

Huà xué shí yàn zhōng shǐ yòng suān yè.

Acid solution is used in chemical experiments.