酷 (kù) — (loanword) cool, stylish, hip; strong, intense (of wine, flavor, or weather); ruthless, cruel
Definition
酷 is the loanword 'cool/stylish' (people, looks, things) and also 'strong, intense' (flavor, weather) or 'cruel, ruthless'. For stylish-looking, 帅 fits a handsome man; 冷酷 emphasizes cold-heartedness, while 狠 and 毒 highlight fierceness or malice.
adjective
(loanword) coolstylishhipstrongintense (of wine, flavor, or weather)ruthlesscruel
Easily confused
Examples
- 酷。Tā chuān zhè jiàn jiā kè hěn kù.He looks very cool in this jacket.
- 酷。Zhè píng chén nián bái jiǔ wèi dào kù liè.This aged baijiu has a strong and intense flavor.
- ，。Gǔ dài yǒu kù xíng, fēi cháng cán rěn.In ancient times there were cruel punishments, extremely brutal.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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
酉酉yǒualcoholic drink vessel
Sound part声符shēngfú
告
告gào酷kù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
酷 pairs 酉, an alcoholic drink vessel, with 告, which gives the sound.
Appears in
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