醇 (chún): alcohol (chemistry)

Meanings

1 alcohol (chemistry)
2 mellow (of wine)
3 pure
4 rich

Characters

醇

chún

alcohol; mellow; pure

Examples

乙醇是最常见的醇类。

Yǐchún shì zuì chángjiàn de chún lèi.

Ethanol is the most common type of alcohol.

这款酒口感醇厚。

Zhè kuǎn jiǔ kǒugǎn chúnhòu.

This wine has a mellow, rich taste.

Tips

memory

酉 (alcohol radical) + 享 (enjoy, phonetic) = alcohol in its chemical sense. The 酉 radical appears in many alcohol-related characters.

usage

As a chemistry term: 醇 = alcohol (乙醇 ethanol, 甲醇 methanol). As an adjective: 醇厚 = mellow/rich (describing wine or flavor).

Components

radical

酉 yǒu

wine vessel; alcohol

Wine-jar radical on the left, the indexing component. Pictograph of a narrow-necked fermentation jar (Shang-era ritual vessel). Almost every left-酉 char names a kind of alcohol, fermentation, or condiment: 酒 wine, 醋 vinegar, 酱 sauce, 酿 brew, 酸 sour. It nails 醇 as a wine word.

phonetic

享 xiǎng

to enjoy; to offer

Right side 享 xiǎng supplies the sound with a regular shift xiǎng → chún (-iǎng to -ún is unusual but attested in old Chinese). It also lends a fitting flavour: 享 means to enjoy or offer ritually, and a 醇 wine is mellow wine fit for sharing or sacrifice.