酒味 (jiǔ wèi) — smell or taste of alcohol; bouquet (of wine)

Definition

noun

smell or taste of alcoholbouquet (of wine)

Measure word · 种

酒味。
Zhè píng hóng jiǔ de jiǔ wèi hěn nóng yù.
The bouquet of this bottle of red wine is very rich.
酒味，。
Tā bù xǐ huan jiǔ wèi, suǒ yǐ zhī hē guǒ zhī.
He doesn't like the taste of alcohol, so he only drinks juice.
酒味。
Yí jìn mén jiù wén dào yì gǔ jiǔ wèi.
As soon as I entered the door, I smelled a whiff of liquor.

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.

酒 is alcoholic drink and 味 is smell or taste; together they mean the smell of liquor.

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

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.

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

口未味

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

未

Same sound today

味 combines 口 (mouth) with 未, which gives the sound wèi; the mouth part relates to taste.

Appears in