p8nda
p8nda BETA
Home Dictionary Discord

独酌无相亲

獨酌無相親
dúzhuówúxiāngqīn
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 drinking alone with no companion at hand
  2. 2 (fig.) a celebrated image of poetic solitude
  3. 3 (lit.) drink-alone, no one close

Examples

深夜他一个人在酒馆，正是独酌无相亲。
Shēnyè tā yīgèrén zài jiǔguǎn, zhèng shì dú zhuó wú xiāngqīn.
Late at night he sat alone in the tavern — truly 'drinking alone with no companion.'
出差住在外地，晚饭时感到独酌无相亲。
Chūchāi zhù zài wàidì, wǎnfàn shí gǎndào dú zhuó wú xiāngqīn.
Away on business, at dinner I felt the mood of 'drinking alone, no one near.'

Tips

history
From 李白《月下独酌》四首 (Li Bai, Drinking Alone Under the Moon, Tang, c. 744): 花间一壶酒，独酌无相亲。举杯邀明月，对影成三人 (Among the flowers, a jug of wine — I drink alone, no one near. I raise my cup to invite the bright moon — with my shadow, we are three). Li Bai then dances with moon and shadow in the iconic conceit of Chinese solitary wine poetry.
usage
酌 reads zhuó, not the common zhuō/zhuò confusion — it specifically means 'to pour / drink wine.' 相亲 here is the classical 'close companion,' not modern 相亲 ('matchmaking blind date'). Quote for any solo-drinking scene, bittersweet or defiantly self-sufficient.

Stroke Order

独 dú
酌 zhuó
无 wú
相 xiāng
亲 qīn