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酲 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
酲chénghangover; uncomfortableg, 14 strokes, radical 酉
酲chéng(literary) inebriatedunknown, 14 strokes, radical 酉
酲chénghungoverunknown, 14 strokes, radical 酉
chéng(cheng2) T2
  1. 1hangover; uncomfortable
  2. 2(literary) inebriated
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

酲chéng(cheng2)

酲 (chéng) refers to the condition of being hungover or inebriated, often characterized by discomfort after consuming alcohol. This term is more literary and may be used in poetic contexts to describe the lingering effects of drinking. It can also convey a sense of discomfort that follows a state of indulgence.

Strokes14Radical酉
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, drinking alcohol often plays a role in social gatherings and celebrations, making the concept of a hangover (酲) particularly relevant during festivals or banquets. Traditional customs may involve toasting and drinking, leading to the experience of酲.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'hangover' as a heavy 'weight' (the radical 酉 for wine) pressing down on you, making you feel 'uncomfortable' the next day. The character 酲 looks like a person slumped over, symbolizing the fatigue and discomfort that comes with being hungover.

Meanings of 酲

chéng(cheng2)
1hangover; uncomfortable
2(literary) inebriated
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 酲

酲Simplified
14Strokes
酉Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 酲

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Podcast: 酲

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AI Study Notes for 酲

Usage Notes

酲 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, making it more appropriate for literary or formal contexts. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words; the tone is crucial. Typical collocations include 酲酒 (chéng jiǔ) meaning 'to be hungover from alcohol.'

HSK Study Tips

酲 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, but understanding it can deepen your appreciation of literary texts. Focus on the radicals and components when learning this character, as they can help you recognize patterns in other related terms about drinking or inebriation.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 酲 with 醉 (zuì), which means 'drunk.' For example, saying '我今天很醉' (I am very hungover today) is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我今天很酲.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 酲

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Etymology of 酲

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

wine

Semantic (meaning)酉
+
Phonetic (sound)呈
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 酲

  1. 1The meaning half酉 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half呈 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywine
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 酲? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 酲?

Decomposition of 酲

IDS Structure⿰酉呈
酲Full Character
=
酉you3
left
呈cheng2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 酲?

How to say hangover; uncomfortable in Chinese

“hangover; uncomfortable” in Chinese is酲chéng

酲 (chéng) refers to the condition of being hungover or inebriated, often characterized by discomfort after consuming alcohol. This term is more literary and may be used in poetic contexts to describe the lingering effects of drinking. It can also convey a sense of discomfort that follows a state of indulgence.

When to use 酲

酲 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, making it more appropriate for literary or formal contexts. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words; the tone is crucial. Typical collocations include 酲酒 (chéng jiǔ) meaning 'to be hungover from alcohol.'

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 酲 with 醉 (zuì), which means 'drunk.' For example, saying '我今天很醉' (I am very hungover today) is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我今天很酲.'

Write 酲

酲

Practice writing 酲 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 酲

Words Containing This Character1
酲chénghungover
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 酲 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 酲

You could say, '我昨晚喝酒，今天觉得很酲' (I drank last night, and today I feel very hungover).

Jason Recommends

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