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酒类 (jiǔ lèi) — alcoholic drinks, alcoholic beverages

Definition

noun
alcoholic drinksalcoholic beverages

Examples

  • 酒类。
    Zhè jiā diàn zhuān mén mài gè zhǒng jiǔ lèi.
    This shop specializes in selling various alcoholic drinks.
  • 酒类。
    Chāo shì lǐ de jiǔ lèi bù mén yǒu hěn duō jìn kǒu pí jiǔ.
    The alcoholic drinks section in the supermarket has many imported beers.
  • 酒类，？
    Wǒ bú tài liǎo jiě jiǔ lèi, nǐ néng tuī jiàn yí xià ma?
    I don't know much about alcoholic drinks; can you recommend 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.

酒jiǔalcohol
类lèicategory

酒 alcohol, 类 category; the category of alcoholic drinks.

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 類; 类 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犬犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
頪
頪lèi類lèi
Same sound today

The traditional form 類 pairs 犬, which relates to the meaning, with 頪, which gives the sound. The simplified 类 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 类 →
Appears in
Alcohol & Tobacco

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