醺 (xūn): intoxicated

Meanings

喝了两杯，他已经微醺。

Hē le liǎng bēi, tā yǐjīng wēixūn.

After two glasses he was pleasantly tipsy.

客人个个喝得醉醺醺的。

Kèrén gègè hē de zuìxūnxūn de.

The guests were all merrily drunk.

usage

Seen in 微醺 (pleasantly tipsy) and the reduplicated 醉醺醺 (drunkenly). It suggests a warm, mellow drunkenness, not stumbling drunk.

radical

酉 yǒu

wine vessel

Left 酉 (a wine jar), the indexing radical. It marks anything to do with alcohol — fitting for being drunk — alongside 酒 (wine) and 醉 (drunk).

phonetic

熏 xūn

to smoke; phonetic

Right 熏 supplies the sound exactly (xūn = xūn) and a fitting image: being 'smoked' or steeped by the warmth of wine until intoxicated.

醺 xūn