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醯 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
醯xīvinegar, acid; to pickleg, 19 strokes, radical 酉
醯xīacylunknown, 19 strokes, radical 酉
xī(xi1) T1
  1. 1vinegar, acid; to pickle
  2. 2acyl
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

醯xī(xi1)

醯 (xī) refers primarily to vinegar or acid, commonly used in the context of cooking and food preservation. It also denotes the process of pickling, which is significant in Chinese cuisine. The term can also relate to acyl in chemical contexts, reflecting its broader scientific usage.

Strokes19Radical酉
Cultural Note

In Chinese cooking, vinegar is a staple ingredient used in many dishes, especially in dipping sauces and marinades, highlighting its cultural importance. Different regions have their own types of vinegar, such as black vinegar from the south, showcasing regional culinary diversity.

Memory Tip

Imagine a chef pouring a bottle of vinegar (醯) over a dish, and the 'xī' sound echoing as he shouts 'sour!' The character combines the radical for 'liquor' (酒) on the left, hinting at its association with liquid, and the right component suggests a connection to taste, helping you remember its meaning.

Meanings of 醯

xī(xi1)
1vinegar, acid; to pickle
2acyl
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 醯

醯Simplified
19Strokes
酉Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 醯

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Podcast: 醯

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AI Study Notes for 醯

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 醯 with other similar-sounding characters, especially those related to different types of liquids. This term is more commonly used in culinary discussions and may appear in formal contexts when discussing chemistry. Collocations include 醯酸 (xī suān) for acetic acid.

HSK Study Tips

While 醯 is not part of the HSK vocabulary set, understanding it can enrich your knowledge of food-related terms. Focus on the relationship between this word and similar terms like 酸 (suān, sour) and 醋 (cù, vinegar) to deepen your understanding of flavor profiles in Chinese cuisine.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 醯 with 酸 (suān, sour) or 醋 (cù, vinegar). For example, saying '我喜欢醯' (wǒ xǐhuān xī) when they mean '我喜欢醋' (wǒ xǐhuān cù) can lead to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 醯

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Etymology of 醯

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

wine

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 醯

  1. 1The meaning half酉 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half㐬 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 醯? 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 醯?

Decomposition of 醯

IDS Structure⿰酉⿱㐬皿
醯Full Character
=
酉you3
left
㐬liu2
top
皿min3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 醯?

How to say vinegar, acid; to pickle in Chinese

“vinegar, acid; to pickle” in Chinese is醯xī

醯 (xī) refers primarily to vinegar or acid, commonly used in the context of cooking and food preservation. It also denotes the process of pickling, which is significant in Chinese cuisine. The term can also relate to acyl in chemical contexts, reflecting its broader scientific usage.

When to use 醯

Be cautious not to confuse 醯 with other similar-sounding characters, especially those related to different types of liquids. This term is more commonly used in culinary discussions and may appear in formal contexts when discussing chemistry. Collocations include 醯酸 (xī suān) for acetic acid.

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 醯 with 酸 (suān, sour) or 醋 (cù, vinegar). For example, saying '我喜欢醯' (wǒ xǐhuān xī) when they mean '我喜欢醋' (wǒ xǐhuān cù) can lead to misunderstandings.

Write 醯

醯

Practice writing 醯 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 醯

Words Containing This Character1
醯xīacyl
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 醯 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 醯

醯 refers to the broader category of acids and vinegar, while 醋 specifically means vinegar.

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