Meaning of 清醒
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- clear-headed
- sober
- awake
How to use 清醒
清醒 describes a state of mind that is alert, sober, or conscious. It works as an adjective with 很 or 保持, and it can also be used as a verb meaning to come to your senses. Example: 他喝了很多酒，但还很清醒。(Tā hē le hěn duō jiǔ, dàn hái hěn qīngxǐng.) He drank a lot, but he is still sober.
清 (qīng) means clear, like clear water, and 醒 (xǐng) means to wake up, as in 提醒 (tíxǐng) to remind. Put them together: your mind wakes up and becomes clear, so you are clear-headed or sober.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 清醒 (qīngxǐng) with 清楚 (qīngchu). 清楚 means something is clear or easy to understand, while 清醒 describes a person's mind being awake or sober. Also keep the third tone on 醒 (xǐng). Do not say it with a first tone like 星 (xīng).
清醒 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
清 qīng · clear · 11 strokes
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醒 xǐng · to wake up · 16 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 清醒.
| 清楚 | qīngchu | clear; distinct |
| 提醒 | tíxǐng | to remind; to call attention to |
| 清理 | qīnglǐ | to clear up; to tidy up |
| 清晨 | qīngchén | early morning |
| 清洁 | qīngjié | clean; to clean |
| 清洗 | qīngxǐ | to wash; to rinse; to clean; (fig.) to purge; to get rid of (corrupt individuals etc) |
| 清洁工 | qīngjiégōng | cleaner; janitor |
| 清明节 | Qīngmíng Jié | Qingming or Pure Brightness Festival or Tomb Sweeping Day, celebration for the dead (in ea |
| 醒来 | xǐnglai | to waken |
| 清除 | qīngchú | to clear away; to eliminate |
| 清晰 | qīngxī | clear; distinct |
| 清单 | qīngdān | list of items |
Questions about 清醒
What does 清醒 mean?
清醒 (qīngxǐng) means "clear-headed; sober" and is used as a adjective and verb.
How do you write 清醒?
清醒 is made of 2 characters: 清 (11 strokes), 醒 (16 strokes). That is 27 strokes in total.
Is 清醒 an HSK word?
Yes. 清醒 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 清醒 and 醒?
醒 (xǐng) simply means to wake up from sleep, as in 我醒了 (wǒ xǐng le), I woke up. 清醒 focuses on being fully alert, sober, or thinking clearly, not just having your eyes open.
Can 清醒 be used for thinking clearly about a situation, not just being awake?
Yes. It is common in phrases like 头脑清醒 (tóunǎo qīngxǐng), having a clear head, or 保持清醒 (bǎochí qīngxǐng), staying clear-headed. Here it means seeing a situation calmly and realistically.