酝 (yùn): to brew (wine)

Meanings

他们正在酝酿一个新计划。

Tāmen zhèngzài yùnniàng yíge xīn jìhuà.

They are quietly working out a new plan.

远处正在酝酿一场风暴。

Yuǎnchù zhèngzài yùnniàng yì chǎng fēngbào.

A storm is brewing in the distance.

usage

Almost always used in 酝酿. The literal sense is brewing wine; figuratively it means letting a plan, mood, or situation slowly develop and ripen.

radical

酉 yǒu

wine vessel

The wine-jar radical anchors the literal meaning: 酝 is about fermenting liquor, and from that comes the figurative "letting something brew."

phonetic

云 yún

cloud; to say

The simplified right side gives the reading yùn; it replaced a fuller traditional phonetic and adds no meaning here.

酝 yùn