陈酒 (chén jiǔ) — aged liquor, mellow wine (wine or spirits that have been stored for a long time to develop flavor)

Definition

Literally 'old liquor' — wine or spirits aged for years to develop deeper, mellower flavor. Often contrasted with 新酒 in tasting contexts; the focus is on the aging process, not the type of alcohol.

noun
aged liquormellow wine (wine or spirits that have been stored for a long time to develop flavor)
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 陈酒，。
    Zhè píng chén jiǔ yǐ jīng fàng le shí nián, wèi dào tè bié hǎo.
    This bottle of aged liquor has been stored for ten years and tastes especially good.
  • 陈酒，。
    Tā xǐ huan hē chén jiǔ, jué de bǐ xīn jiǔ gèng xiāng.
    He likes to drink mellow wine and thinks it's more aromatic than new wine.
  • 陈酒。
    Zhè jiā jiǔ zhuāng yǐ shēng chǎn chén jiǔ wén míng.
    This winery is famous for producing aged liquor.

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.

陈chénaged
酒jiǔliquor

陈 means aged or old, and 酒 means liquor, together giving aged 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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 陳; 陈 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fùmound
Sound part声符shēngfú
東
東dōng陳chén
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 陳 pairs 阜 (mound) with 東 as a sound component.

Open 陈 →

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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