醋 (cù) · vinegar, jealousy (figurative)

Measure Word

一瓶醋 píng

Meanings

1 vinegar
2 jealousy (figurative)

About the ingredient

调料 Seasonings

Chinese vinegar is mostly brewed from grain: dark aged vinegar from sorghum in Shanxi, malty black rice vinegar from Zhenjiang, and clear rice vinegar. Cooks use it in dumpling dips, noodles, cold dishes and braises.

Used in 36 dishes

岐山臊子面 Qíshān sàozimiàn

卤水金钱肚 lǔshuǐ jīnqiándǔ

赛螃蟹 sàipángxiè

Characters

醋

cù

vinegar

Examples

HSK 3

她看到他和别的女生说话就吃醋了。

Tā kàndào tā hé biéde nǚshēng shuōhuà jiù chīcù le.

She got jealous seeing him talk with another girl.

HSK 4

这道菜需要加一点醋。

Zhè dào cài xūyào jiā yìdiǎn cù.

This dish needs a little vinegar.

HSK 7-9

吃饺子的时候要蘸醋。

Chī jiǎozi de shíhou yào zhàn cù.

You should dip dumplings in vinegar when eating them.

Tips

usage

吃醋 (literally 'eat vinegar') means to be jealous, specifically in a romantic context. It's one of the most common Chinese idioms.

memory

The radical 酉 on the left relates to fermentation and alcohol - vinegar is fermented liquid, just like wine.

Components

radical

酉 yǒu

wine jar; tenth Earthly Branch

Left wine-jar radical - pictograph of a narrow-necked fermentation pot. Indexes 醋 in the fermented-liquid family with 酒 alcohol, 酱 sauce, 酸 sour, 酿 to brew. Vinegar is wine left to spoil, so the radical anchors 醋 in exactly the right semantic neighbourhood.

phonetic

昔 xī

former times; in the past

Right side 昔 supplies the sound - xī shifted to cù through Old-Chinese palatal alternation. Same phonetic in 错 wrong, 借 to lend, 措 to arrange, 醋. 昔 also adds quiet flavour: vinegar is wine that has aged into something else, so 'former wine' is a memorable mnemonic.