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沉醉 (chén zuì) — to get drunk (on alcohol); to be deeply intoxicated by (beauty, music, atmosphere, etc.); to be completely absorbed in (a pleasant experience)

Definition

Means to be deeply absorbed in or intoxicated by an experience — beauty, music, or similar. Often used figuratively, not only for alcohol. Stronger and more literary than 喜欢.

verb
to get drunk (on alcohol)to be deeply intoxicated by (beauty, music, atmosphere, etc.)to be completely absorbed in (a pleasant experience)

Examples

  • 沉醉。
    Tā hē le jǐ bēi jiǔ biàn chén zuì le.
    He got drunk after drinking a few glasses of wine.
  • ，沉醉。
    Zhàn zài shān dǐng, tā chén zuì zài zhuàng lì de jǐng sè zhōng.
    Standing on the mountaintop, she was intoxicated by the magnificent scenery.
  • 沉醉。
    Guān zhòng chén zuì zài měi miào de yīn yuè lǐ.
    The audience was captivated by the wonderful music.

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.

沉chéndeep
醉zuìdrunk

沉 gives deep sinking and 醉 gives drunk, so together they mean deeply intoxicated.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 沉 →

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yǒualcoholic drink
Sound part声符shēngfú
卒
卒zú醉zuì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

醉 combines 酉, a sign for alcoholic drink, with 卒, which supplies the sound.

Open 醉 →
Appears in
Emotions & Feelings

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