jiǔ

wine

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components
氵 meaning component

  Meaning component

shuishuǐ

  

water

is a component form of .

酉 sound,meaning component

  Sound Meaning component

yǒu

  

wine

Pictograph of a container for wine.

Evolution

酒 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
酒 Bronze script Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze script

Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
酒 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
酒 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
酒 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

jiǔ

wine, spirits, liquor, alcoholic beverage; wine (esp. rice wine); liquor; spirits; alcoholic beverage; CL:[bēi],[píng],[guàn],[tǒng],[gāng]

Most common words with 酒
Freq.
Word
Meaning

liquor

酒店

wine shop

酒吧

bar

啤酒

beer (loanword)

喝酒

to drink (alcohol)