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酴 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
酴túyeast; wine; to leaven, to fermentg, 14 strokes, radical 酉
tú(tu2) T2
  1. 1yeast; wine; to leaven, to ferment
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

酴tú(tu2)

酴 (tú) refers to yeast, which is a crucial ingredient in the fermentation process of making wine and other alcoholic beverages. In a broader context, it can also indicate the action of leavening or fermenting food, highlighting its importance in culinary practices.

Strokes14Radical酉
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, fermentation is not just a culinary process but also a traditional art, particularly in the production of rice wine and other local beverages.酴 reflects the significance of natural fermentation processes in Chinese cuisine.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'tub' (sounds like 'tú') filled with bubbling yeast, transforming grape juice into wine. The character 酴 has the radical for 'liquor' (酒) on the left, reminding you it’s related to fermentation and drinks.

Meanings of 酴

tú(tu2)
1yeast; wine; to leaven, to ferment
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 酴

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

Podcast: 酴

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Podcast: 酴

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 酴

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 酴 with similar-sounding words that pertain to different contexts. This term is generally used in more formal or specialized discussions about fermentation, so it's less common in everyday conversation. Common collocations include 酴醪 (tú láo, 'fermented mash') and 酴酒 (tú jiǔ, 'yeast wine').

HSK Study Tips

酴 is not included in the HSK levels, but understanding it can enhance your vocabulary related to food and drink. Focus on its uses in culinary and beverage contexts, and connect it with other food-related terms you learn.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mispronounce 酴 as 'tǔ' instead of 'tú', which changes the meaning entirely. Ensure to practice the correct tone to avoid confusion with related terms.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 酴

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Etymology of 酴

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

wine

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 酴

  1. 1The meaning half酉 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half余 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 酴? 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 酴?

Decomposition of 酴

IDS Structure⿰酉余
酴Full Character
=
酉you3
left
余Yu2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 酴?

How to say yeast; wine; to leaven, to ferment in Chinese

“yeast; wine; to leaven, to ferment” in Chinese is酴tú

酴 (tú) refers to yeast, which is a crucial ingredient in the fermentation process of making wine and other alcoholic beverages. In a broader context, it can also indicate the action of leavening or fermenting food, highlighting its importance in culinary practices.

When to use 酴

Be careful not to confuse 酴 with similar-sounding words that pertain to different contexts. This term is generally used in more formal or specialized discussions about fermentation, so it's less common in everyday conversation. Common collocations include 酴醪 (tú láo, 'fermented mash') and 酴酒 (tú jiǔ, 'yeast wine').

What learners get wrong

Learners often mispronounce 酴 as 'tǔ' instead of 'tú', which changes the meaning entirely. Ensure to practice the correct tone to avoid confusion with related terms.

Write 酴

酴

Practice writing 酴 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 酴

Words Containing This Character1
酴túyeast
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 酴 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 酴

酴 specifically refers to yeast and fermentation, while 酒 (jiǔ) refers broadly to alcoholic beverages.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 酴?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.