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白酒 (bái jiǔ) — baijiu, Chinese liquor (distilled from sorghum or other grains); (Taiwan) white wine (short for 白葡萄酒)

Definition

白酒 is the specific Chinese grain spirit (baijiu), usually 40–60% alcohol. Compared to 酒 (any alcoholic drink), it points to this strong traditional liquor, not beer or wine.

noun
baijiuChinese liquor (distilled from sorghum or other grains)(Taiwan) white wine (short for 白葡萄酒)
Measure word · 瓶

Examples

  • 白酒。
    Bà ba qǐng péng you hē bái jiǔ.
    Dad treated his friends to baijiu.
  • 白酒。
    Zhè píng bái jiǔ shì sòng gěi nǐ shū shu de.
    This bottle of baijiu is a gift for your uncle.
  • 白酒，。
    bái jiǔ De dù shu hěn gāo, nǐ shǎo hē yì diǎn.
    Baijiu has a high alcohol content; you should drink less.

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.

白báiwhite
酒jiǔliquor

白 describes the kind or color of 酒, giving a clear liquor.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

白 is thought to picture either an acorn or a human head.

Open 白 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4Alcohol & Tobacco

Browse more HSK 4 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.