醋 meaning and stroke order
Vinegar; jealousy (in love rivalry)
How to write 醋, stroke by stroke
15 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 醋
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- vinegar
- jealousy (in love rivalry)
How 醋 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Aged 昔 wine 酉; wine gone sour.
Radical: 酉 (wine), shared by 67 characters on this site.
How to remember 醋
On the left is 酉 (yǒu), a wine jar, and on the right is 昔 (xī), meaning "long ago." Wine left sitting since long ago turns sour, and that is vinegar, 醋 (cù).
醋 is the everyday word for vinegar in cooking, and it is common at the table with dumplings. In the phrase 吃醋 (chīcù), literally "eat vinegar," it means to feel jealous, usually in a romantic relationship. 他看到女朋友和别人说话就吃醋了。(Tā kàndào nǚpéngyou hé biérén shuōhuà jiù chīcù le.) He got jealous when he saw his girlfriend talking to someone else.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 醋 (cù) with 错 (cuò, wrong), because both use 昔 on the right. Remember that 醋 has the wine jar 酉 and is fourth tone cù, while 错 has the metal radical 钅 and is pronounced cuò.
Common words with 醋
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 吃醋 | chīcù | to feel jealous (esp. because of a rival in love or affection) |
醋 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 醋
How many strokes are in 醋?
醋 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 醋 mean?
醋 (cù) means vinegar; jealousy (in love rivalry). A common word with it is 吃醋 (chīcù), meaning "to feel jealous (esp. because of a rival in love or affection)".
How do you pronounce 醋?
醋 is pronounced cù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 醋?
The radical of 醋 is 酉, which carries the idea of "wine". Dictionaries list 醋 under this radical.
Is 醋 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 醋 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say someone is a very jealous person in Chinese?
A common phrase is 醋坛子 (cù tánzi), literally "vinegar jar," for someone who gets jealous easily. It is informal and often used teasingly between partners or friends.
What kind of vinegar is common in Chinese cooking?
Dark aged vinegar such as 陈醋 (chéncù) and 香醋 (xiāngcù) is very common. It is used in sauces, in cold dishes, and as a dip for dumplings (饺子, jiǎozi).