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醺 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
醺xūndrunk, intoxicatedg, 21 strokes, radical 酉, rank #68023, Very Hard
醺xūnhelplessly intoxicatedunknown, 21 strokes, radical 酉, rank #68023, Very Hard
xūn(xun1) T1
  1. 1drunk, intoxicated
  2. 2helplessly intoxicated
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

醺xūn(xun1)

The character 醺 (xūn) refers to a state of being drunk or intoxicated, often implying a level of helplessness due to the effects of alcohol. It is commonly used in contexts discussing inebriation, whether in social settings or warning against overindulgence.

Strokes21Radical酉Frequency#68023DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, drinking alcohol can play a significant role in social gatherings, business meetings, and celebrations. The concept of being 醺 is often associated with the social dynamics of banquets where toasts and drinking games are common.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person with a big, round head (the radical 酒 for 'wine') swaying back and forth, unable to stand straight, symbolizing someone who is drunk. The sound 'xūn' can be associated with the sounds of laughter or chaos at a party, where too much alcohol has been consumed.

Meanings of 醺

xūn(xun1)
1drunk, intoxicated
2helplessly intoxicated
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 醺

醺Simplified
21Strokes
酉Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 醺

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Podcast: 醺

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AI Study Notes for 醺

Quick Contrast

醉 (zuì) - use 醺 when emphasizing a state of helplessness from intoxication, while 醉 focuses more on the condition of being drunk without that implication.

Usage Notes

This character is used in informal contexts and is not commonly found in formal writing. Be mindful of using it when discussing intoxication, as it may carry negative connotations. Common collocations include 醺醉 (xūn zuì) meaning 'intoxicated'.

HSK Study Tips

While 醺 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it can be connected to related words about alcohol and states of inebriation. Students should focus on the pronunciation and its usage in casual conversation about drinking.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 醺 with 醉 (zuì), which is more commonly used. For example, saying '我今天醺了' instead of '我今天醉了' can sound awkward to native speakers.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 醺

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Etymology of 醺

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

wine

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 醺

  1. 1The meaning half酉 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half熏 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 醺? 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 醺?

Decomposition of 醺

IDS Structure⿰酉熏
醺Full Character
=
酉you3
left
熏xun1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 醺?

How to say drunk, intoxicated in Chinese

“drunk, intoxicated” in Chinese is醺xūn

The character 醺 (xūn) refers to a state of being drunk or intoxicated, often implying a level of helplessness due to the effects of alcohol. It is commonly used in contexts discussing inebriation, whether in social settings or warning against overindulgence.

When to use 醺

This character is used in informal contexts and is not commonly found in formal writing. Be mindful of using it when discussing intoxication, as it may carry negative connotations. Common collocations include 醺醉 (xūn zuì) meaning 'intoxicated'.

醺 or something close to it

醉 (zuì) - use 醺 when emphasizing a state of helplessness from intoxication, while 醉 focuses more on the condition of being drunk without that implication.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 醺 with 醉 (zuì), which is more commonly used. For example, saying '我今天醺了' instead of '我今天醉了' can sound awkward to native speakers.

Write 醺

醺

Practice writing 醺 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 醺

Words Containing This Character3
醉醺醺drunk
醺xūnhelplessly intoxicated
微醺tipsy
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 醉醺醺 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 醺

It is pronounced as 'xūn'.

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