p8nda
p8nda BETA
Home Dictionary Translate Flashcards Sign in

酋

qiú
noun #37,589

Meanings

  1. 1 tribal chief
  2. 2 chieftain
  3. 3 (derogatory) leader of bandits or enemies

Examples

他是部落的酋长。
Tā shì bùluò de qiúzhǎng.
He is the tribal chieftain.
敌酋被押解到京城。
Díqiú bèi yājiě dào jīngchéng.
The enemy chief was escorted to the capital.

Tips

history
Originally 酋 meant 'aged/finished wine' (the radical 酉 is a wine vessel) and named the imperial wine officer 大酋 in 《吕氏春秋》. The semantic shift to 'tribal chieftain' came via the idea of 'eldest/most senior.' Modern usage is mostly in 酋长 (chieftain) and pejorative compounds like 匪酋 (bandit chief), 敌酋 (enemy leader).
memory
The radical 酉 (a wine jar) under the 'eight' lid 八 hints at the original 'mature wine' meaning. From there: just as wine is 'the elder of grapes,' the 酋 is the elder of the tribe.

Stroke Order

酋 qiú