洋酒 (yáng jiǔ) — imported Western liquor (whiskey, wine, cognac, etc.)

Definition

noun
imported Western liquor (whiskey, wine, cognac, etc.)
Measure word · 瓶

Examples

  • 洋酒，。
    Tā xǐ huan hē yáng jiǔ, yóu qí shì hóng jiǔ.
    He likes to drink imported Western liquor, especially red wine.
  • 洋酒。
    Zhè jiā diàn mài gè zhǒng jìn kǒu de yáng jiǔ.
    This store sells all kinds of imported Western liquor.
  • 洋酒。
    Wǒ péng you cóng fǎ guó dài le yì píng yáng jiǔ gěi wǒ.
    My friend brought me a bottle of imported Western liquor from France.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

洋yángforeign
酒jiǔliquor

“洋” means foreign and “酒” means liquor, naming imported Western spirits.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
羊
羊yáng洋yáng
Same sound today

洋 pairs 氵, the water part, with 羊 to give its sound.

Open 洋 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
酉
酉yǒu酒jiǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

酒 pairs 酉, the original picture for this word, with 水 (water), added later to distinguish it.

Open 酒 →

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