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鸡尾酒 (jī wěi jiǔ) — cocktail

Definition

noun
cocktail
Measure word · 杯

Examples

  • 鸡尾酒。
    Jīn wǎn de pài duì shàng yǒu hěn duō zhǒng jī wěi jiǔ.
    There are many kinds of cocktails at tonight's party.
  • 鸡尾酒。
    Tiáo jiǔ shī zhèng zài tiáo zhì yì bēi xīn de jī wěi jiǔ.
    The bartender is mixing a new cocktail.
  • 鸡尾酒？
    Nǐ zuì xǐ huan de jī wěi jiǔ shì shén me?
    What's your favorite cocktail?

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.

鸡尾chicken tail
鸡jīchicken尾wěitail
偏正Modifier + head
酒jiǔwine

鸡尾 means chicken tail, and 酒 is wine or drink; together they name a cocktail.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 雞; 鸡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuīshort-tailed bird
Sound part声符shēngfú
奚
奚xī雞jī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 雞 pairs 奚, which gives the sound, with 隹, a short-tailed bird. The simplified 鸡 is a later shorthand, and its right side is not the historical 奚.

Open 鸡 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The form 尾 combines 尸 (person) and 毛 (hair; feather).

Open 尾 →

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 →
Appears in
Alcohol & Tobacco5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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