醋意 (cù yì) — jealousy (especially romantic jealousy); envy (in relationships)

Definition

醋意 literally means 'vinegar meaning' — a vivid Chinese metaphor for jealousy, almost always romantic (a partner's attention for someone else). Stronger and more pointed than 嫉妒, which can mean jealousy or envy in any context.

noun
jealousy (especially romantic jealousy)envy (in relationships)

Examples

  • ，醋意。
    Tā kàn dào nǚ yǒu hé bié rén shuō huà, xīn zhōng yǒng qǐ yí zhèn cù yì.
    When he saw his girlfriend talking to someone else, a wave of jealousy surged in his heart.
  • 醋意，。
    Tā nǔ lì yǎn shì zì jǐ de cù yì, dàn yǎn shén chū mài le tā.
    She tried hard to hide her jealousy, but her eyes gave her away.
  • 醋意。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō miáo xiě le zhǔ rén gōng de cù yì hé bù ān.
    This novel portrays the protagonist's jealousy and unease.

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.

醋cùvinegar
意yìfeeling

醋, the sour taste, colors 意, so 醋意 means a jealous feeling.

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
酉酉yǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
昔
昔xī醋cù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

醋 is formed by placing 酉 beside 昔; 昔 supplies the sound, and 酉 marks the meaning.

Open 醋 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 意 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.