清醒 (qīng xǐng) — (adjective) clear-headed, sober, awake; (verb)… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Both 'clear-headed/sober' (adj) and 'to sober up / come to' (v), emphasizing mental alertness, not physical wakefulness like 醒. Use 清晰 for 'distinct/clear' (images, sounds).

adjective

clear-headedsoberawake

verb

to sober upto come toto regain consciousness

Examples

，清醒。
Tā hē le yì bēi kā fēi, hěn kuài jiù qīng xǐng guò lái le.
He drank a cup of coffee and quickly came to.
清醒。
Zài kǎo shì qián yào bǎo chí qīng xǐng de tóu nǎo.
You should keep a clear head before the exam.
，清醒。
Tā shuì le bā gè xiǎo shí, xiàn zài hěn qīng xǐng.
He slept for eight hours and is now wide awake.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

清 and 醒 express clearness and wakefulness, so 清醒 means clear-headed.

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.

酉星醒

Meaning part形符xíngfú

酉酉yǒualcohol

Sound part声符shēngfú

星

星xīng醒xǐng

Same sound today

醒 combines 酉, which stands for alcohol, with 星, which gives the sound.

Appears in

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