酒精

• Pinyin: jiǔ jīng
• Hanzi breakdown: 酒 = 氵(liquid) + 酉 (wine vessel) — alcoholic drink; 精 = 米 (grain) + 青 (clear, phonetic) — essence

Meaning

Alcohol; ethanol.

The standard scientific and colloquial term for ethanol (C₂H₅OH). Used in medical, industrial, culinary, and everyday contexts. 酒精 covers both pure ethanol used in disinfectants and the alcohol content in beverages. Common phrases include 酒精浓度 (alcohol concentration), 酒精灯 (alcohol lamp), and 酒精中毒 (alcohol poisoning).

Examples

1. 医用酒精的浓度通常为75%，适合用于皮肤消毒。 Medical alcohol is usually at a concentration of 75%, suitable for skin disinfection.
2. 他喝酒后血液中的酒精浓度超标，被警察查出酒驾。 His blood alcohol level exceeded the legal limit after drinking, and he was caught drink-driving by the police.
3. 实验室里常用酒精灯对试管加热，操作时要注意防火。 Alcohol lamps are commonly used in labs to heat test tubes — be careful to guard against fire when operating them.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, science, everyday, law

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这瓶消毒液含有75%的酒精成分。(This disinfectant contains 75% alcohol.)
• 长期过量摄入酒精对肝脏损害极大。(Long-term excessive alcohol consumption causes extreme damage to the liver.)

Don't Say

• 请给我来一杯酒精。(In a bar or restaurant context, saying 酒精 sounds clinical or bizarre — order by the drink name, e.g., 啤酒 or 白酒)

Origin & History

酒 (alcohol, liquor) + 精 (essence, refined substance). A 19th-century scientific calque: the refined essence of liquor. Adopted as the standard Chinese term for ethanol/alcohol during the translation of Western chemistry texts.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal