斟 (zhēn): to pour (tea or wine into a cup)

Meanings

1 to pour (tea or wine into a cup)
2 to fill (a cup or glass)

Characters

斟

zhēn

to pour (liquid into a vessel)

Examples

主人亲自为客人斟茶。

Zhǔrén qīnzì wèi kèrén zhēn chá.

The host personally poured tea for the guests.

他为大家斟满了酒。

Tā wèi dàjiā zhēn mǎn le jiǔ.

He filled everyone's glasses with wine.

Tips

culture

斟茶 (zhēn chá, pouring tea) is a significant act in Chinese tea culture. Guests traditionally tap two fingers on the table to express thanks when tea is poured — a gesture said to originate from imperial court ritual.

Components

radical

斗 dǒu

ladle; dipper

Right 斗 — pictograph of a long-handled ladle or measuring scoop. As the indexing radical it carries the meaning: pouring tea or wine is dipping with a ladle and tipping into a cup. Same radical drives 料 to measure out; 斗 itself names the 北斗 Big Dipper constellation.

phonetic

甚 shèn

very; what (here phonetic)

Left 甚 supplies the sound — shèn drifting to zhēn through the regular sh/zh alternation in older Mandarin. Originally 甚 depicted a vessel of food and a partner, hinting at extreme indulgence. Same phonetic appears in 勘 to investigate, 堪 to bear, 湛 deep.