醋

• Pinyin: cù
• Hanzi breakdown: 醋 = 酉 (wine vessel) + 昔 (past), fermented sour liquid

Meaning

Vinegar. A sour liquid condiment made from fermented grains or fruit.

A staple condiment in Chinese cuisine, used for dipping, cooking, and flavoring. Different regional varieties exist, such as 山西老陈醋 (Shanxi aged vinegar) and 镇江香醋 (Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar). Idiomatically, 吃醋 means 'to be jealous' (especially romantically).

Examples

1. 吃饺子的时候蘸点醋更好吃。 Dipping dumplings in vinegar makes them taste even better.
2. 山西的老陈醋全国有名。 Shanxi's aged vinegar is famous throughout China.
3. 她看到男朋友和别的女生聊天就吃醋了。 She got jealous when she saw her boyfriend chatting with another girl.

Usage Guide

Context: food, cooking, idiom

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请给我一碟醋。(Please give me a small dish of vinegar.)
• 你又吃醋了？(Are you jealous again? — idiomatic)

Don't Say

• '吃醋'是比喻用法，表示嫉妒，不是真的吃醋 (吃醋 is a figurative expression meaning 'to be jealous' — not literally eating vinegar)

Origin & History

Combines 酉 (wine vessel/alcohol) with 昔 (former), indicating something fermented from alcohol long ago.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal