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酒瘾 (jiǔ yǐn) — alcohol addiction; alcoholism

Definition

noun
alcohol addictionalcoholism

Examples

  • 酒瘾。
    Tā yīn wèi jiǔ yǐn shī qù le gōng zuò.
    He lost his job because of alcohol addiction.
  • 酒瘾。
    Zhì liáo jiǔ yǐn xū yào hěn dà de yì lì.
    Treating alcohol addiction requires great willpower.
  • 。
    Hěn duō rén bù bǎ jiǔ yǐn dàng zuò yì zhǒng bìng.
    Many people don't consider alcohol addiction a disease.

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.

酒jiǔalcohol
瘾yǐnaddiction

"酒" alcohol and "瘾" addiction form a strong craving for alcohol.

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
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 →

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 癮; 瘾 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nè
Sound part声符shēngfú
隱
隱yǐn癮yǐn
Same sound today

The traditional form 癮 uses 疒 to show illness and 隱 for the sound; the simplified 瘾 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 瘾 →
Appears in
Alcohol & TobaccoIllness & Symptoms

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