酬 meaning and stroke order
To toast, to entertain; to reward, to compensate
How to write 酬, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
Meaning of 酬
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to entertain
- to repay
- to return
- to reward
- to compensate
- to reply
How 酬 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Wine.
酉 gives the meaning and 州 hints at the sound.
Radical: 酉 (wine), shared by 67 characters on this site.
How to remember 酬
酬 combines 酉 (yǒu), a wine jar that hints at wine, with 州 (zhōu), which gives the sound. Picture pouring wine for guests from every 州 (region) to thank them, and you have both toasting and repaying.
酬 rarely appears alone in modern Chinese. It lives in words about pay and social obligations, like 报酬 (bàochou) and 应酬 (yìngchou). Example: 这份工作的报酬很高。(Zhè fèn gōngzuò de bàochou hěn gāo.) This job pays very well.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 酬 with 筹 (chóu, to plan or raise funds), since both are read chóu and both appear in money contexts. Remember that 酬 has the wine jar 酉 on the left and is about paying someone back. Also note that in 报酬 and 应酬 the second syllable is often said in the neutral tone.
Common words with 酬
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
酬 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 酬
How many strokes are in 酬?
酬 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 酬 mean?
酬 (chóu) means to toast, to entertain; to reward, to compensate. A common word with it is 报酬 (bàochou), meaning "reward; remuneration".
How do you pronounce 酬?
酬 is pronounced chóu, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 酬?
The radical of 酬 is 酉, which carries the idea of "wine". Dictionaries list 酬 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 酬?
The traditional form of 酬 is 詶, 酧 and 醻. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 酬 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 酬 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 酬 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 报酬 and 薪酬?
报酬 (bàochou) is any payment or reward for work or help, including one-off jobs. 薪酬 (xīnchóu) is more formal and refers to regular salary and compensation, often in HR or company contexts.
Does 应酬 have a negative meaning?
Often, yes. 应酬 (yìngchou) usually means business dinners or social events you attend out of obligation, so people say 我今晚有应酬 (Wǒ jīnwǎn yǒu yìngchou) to mean they have a work dinner they cannot skip.