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醞 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
醞yùnliquor, spirits, wine; to fermentx, 17 strokes, radical 酉
yùn(yun4)yun T4
  1. 1liquor, spirits, wine; to ferment
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March 24, 2026

醞yùn(yun4)

The character 醞 (yùn) refers to liquor, spirits, or wine, primarily focusing on the process of fermentation. It is commonly used in the context of brewing or making alcoholic beverages, highlighting a cultural significance in social gatherings and celebrations in Chinese society.

Strokes17Radical酉
Cultural note

In China, wine and liquor play a significant role in social rituals and celebrations, with 醞 representing the craftsmanship behind these traditional beverages. The process of fermentation is also linked to festivals, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, where rice wine is commonly enjoyed.

Memory tip

Imagine a large vat of wine bubbling as it ferments. The character 醞 has the radical for 'liquid' (氵) on the left, which can remind you of the fermentation process involving liquids, while the right side (韵) sounds like 'yun', evoking the idea of a rich, harmonious taste that comes from well-fermented spirits.

Meanings of 醞

yùn(yun4)
1liquor, spirits, wine; to ferment
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 醞

醞Simplified
17Strokes
酉Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 醞

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Podcast: 醞

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AI Study Notes for 醞

Quick Contrast

酿 (niàng) - use 醞 (yùn) when emphasizing the fermentation process of liquor, while 酿 (niàng) focuses more on the act of brewing or producing wine.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 醞 with similar sounding words like 饮 (yǐn), which means 'to drink', or 酒 (jiǔ), which directly means 'alcohol' or 'wine'. 醞 is more specific to the fermentation process and is generally used in more formal contexts, especially in discussions about brewing.

HSK Study Tips

Although 醞 is not part of any HSK levels, it connects to HSK vocabulary related to food and drinks, such as 酒 (jiǔ) and 饮料 (yǐnliào). Students should focus on understanding context in which 醞 is used, especially in culinary discussions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 醞 interchangeably with 酒. For example, saying '我想喝醞' (Wǒ xiǎng hē yùn) is incorrect; it should be '我想喝酒' (Wǒ xiǎng hē jiǔ) since 醞 refers to the process rather than the drink itself.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 醞

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Etymology of 醞

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 酉 represents the meaning and 云 represents the sound. Simplified form of 醞.

Memory hint

wine

Semantic (meaning)酉
+
Phonetic (sound)皿
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

醞 = 酉 + 皿. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 醞

IDS Structure⿰酉⿱囚皿
醞Full character
=
酉you3
left
囚qiu2
top
皿min3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 3

Parts

Which of these is part of 醞?

How to say liquor, spirits, wine; to ferment in Chinese

“liquor, spirits, wine; to ferment” in Chinese is醞yùn

The character 醞 (yùn) refers to liquor, spirits, or wine, primarily focusing on the process of fermentation. It is commonly used in the context of brewing or making alcoholic beverages, highlighting a cultural significance in social gatherings and celebrations in Chinese society.

When to use 醞

Learners often confuse 醞 with similar sounding words like 饮 (yǐn), which means 'to drink', or 酒 (jiǔ), which directly means 'alcohol' or 'wine'. 醞 is more specific to the fermentation process and is generally used in more formal contexts, especially in discussions about brewing.

醞 or something close to it

酿 (niàng) - use 醞 (yùn) when emphasizing the fermentation process of liquor, while 酿 (niàng) focuses more on the act of brewing or producing wine.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 醞 interchangeably with 酒. For example, saying '我想喝醞' (Wǒ xiǎng hē yùn) is incorrect; it should be '我想喝酒' (Wǒ xiǎng hē jiǔ) since 醞 refers to the process rather than the drink itself.

Write 醞

醞

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Word Family of 醞

Words containing this character2
酝酿yùnniàng(of alcohol) to ferment醞釀
酝yùnto brew醞
Exercise 1 of 2

Words with 醞

What does 酝酿 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 醞

醞 specifically refers to the fermentation process and is more about making liquor, while 酒 broadly refers to any alcoholic beverage.

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