醉 (zuì) — to be drunk, intoxicated
Definition
醉 (zuì) is the standard verb for being drunk from alcohol. Don't confuse it with 陶醉, which means being mentally intoxicated or enchanted by an experience — not from drinking.
verb
to be drunkintoxicated
Examples
- 醉。Tā zhī hē le liǎng bēi pí jiǔ jiù zuì le.He was drunk after just two beers.
- ，醉。Kāi chē qián bú yào hē jiǔ, fǒu zé huì zuì.Don't drink before driving, or you'll get drunk.
- 醉。Tā měi cì jù huì dōu hē dé dà zuì.He gets plastered every time he goes to a party.
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
Sound part声符shēngfú
卒
卒zú醉zuì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
醉 combines 酉, a sign for alcoholic drink, with 卒, which supplies the sound.
Appears in
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