烈性酒 (liè xìng jiǔ) — strong liquor, hard liquor, spirits

Definition

High-proof distilled alcohol, as opposed to milder drinks like 啤酒 (beer) or 葡萄酒 (wine). Often appears in warnings about alcohol content.

noun
strong liquorhard liquorspirits
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 烈性酒，。
    Tā xǐ huan hē liè xìng jiǔ, yóu qí shì bái jiǔ.
    He likes to drink strong liquor, especially baijiu.
  • 烈性酒，。
    Zhè zhǒng liè xìng jiǔ de jiǔ jīng hán liàng hěn gāo, yào shǎo hē.
    This kind of strong liquor has a high alcohol content, so drink less.
  • 烈性酒。
    Chāo shì lǐ mài de liè xìng jiǔ zhǒng lèi hěn duō.
    There are many kinds of strong liquor sold in supermarkets.

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.

烈性strong nature
烈lièstrong性xìngnature
偏正Modifier + head
酒jiǔliquor

烈性 means strong in nature and 酒 means liquor, so it is strong 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
列
列liè烈liè
Same sound today

烈 pairs 列 for the sound with 灬, a form of 火 (fire).

Open 烈 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

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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