醉态 (zuì tài) — drunkenness; drunken state or behavior

Definition

Refers specifically to the visible behavior and manner (态) of someone who is drunk — slurred speech, unsteady movement, etc. — rather than the state of being drunk itself.

noun
drunkennessdrunken state or behavior

Examples

  • 醉态。
    Tā de zuì tài ràng rén kàn le hěn dān xīn.
    His drunken state worried people who saw him.
  • 醉态，。
    Cóng tā shuō huà de zuì tài lái kàn, tā hē le bù shǎo jiǔ.
    Judging by her drunken manner of speaking, she had drunk quite a lot.
  • 醉态。
    Nà wèi zuì hàn de zuì tài yǐn qǐ le zhōu wéi rén de zhù yì.
    That drunkard's drunkenness drew the attention of people around him.

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.

醉zuìdrunk
态tàistate

“醉” means drunk and “态” means state, together naming a drunken state or behavior.

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
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.

Open 醉 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
太
太tài态tài
Same sound today

态 is made of 太, which gives the sound, and 心 (heart).

Open 态 →

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