清酒 (qīng jiǔ) — clear rice wine used in Chinese ancestor worshi… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

清酒 (qīngjiǔ) covers two distinct things: in Chinese tradition, a clear rice wine used in ancestor-worship rituals; in everyday modern usage, the common Chinese word for Japanese sake.

noun

clear rice wine used in Chinese ancestor worship and ritualsJapanese sake (rice wine)

Measure word · 杯

Examples

，清酒。
Jì zǔ de shí hou, wǒ men yào zhǔn bèi qīng jiǔ hé shuǐ guǒ.
When worshipping ancestors, we need to prepare qīng jiǔ and fruits.
清酒，。
Rì běn de qīng jiǔ hěn yǒu míng, hěn duō rén xǐ huan hē.
Japanese sake is very famous; many people like to drink it.
清酒，。
Zhè jiā diàn mài gè zhǒng qīng jiǔ, nǐ kě yǐ shì shì.
This shop sells various kinds of qīng jiǔ; you can try some.

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.

清qīngclear/pure

清 “clear/pure” and 酒 “wine” combine to mean clear rice wine or sake.

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.

氵青清

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

青

青qīng清qīng

Same sound today

清 has 氵 (water) on the left and 青 on the right to show its sound.

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.

Appears in

Alcohol & Tobacco

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