酸
suān · HSK 4
aching
🍋💔 酸 = 酉 (wine jar) + 夋 (phonetic); literally sour wine, extended to heartache
The 酉 radical marks fermented liquid; sour wine became a metaphor for the sharp, aching feeling of grief. Modern 酸 covers both literal sourness (lemons, vinegar) and the figurative sting of a sore heart or aching muscles.
酸 — wine/jar radical 酉 + 夋 (phonetic)
酸 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left side 酉 depicts a wine jar and signals meanings related to fermentation and alcohol. The right side 夋 supplies the sound. Originally describing the sour taste of fermented wine, it broadened to mean 'sour' in general and figuratively 'aching' or 'sad'.
suān · HSK 4
sour
🍋 suān sounds like 'swan' — but think sour lemon, not graceful bird
酸 = 酉 (wine/fermented jar) + 夋 (phonetic). Fermented wine turns sour, so the wine-jar radical 酉 carries the meaning. Common in 酸奶 (yogurt) and 心酸 (heartache, lit. heart-sour).
酸 — wine/jar radical 酉 + 夋 (phonetic)
酸 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left side 酉 depicts a wine jar and signals meanings related to fermentation and alcohol. The right side 夋 supplies the sound. Originally describing the sour taste of fermented wine, it broadened to mean 'sour' in general and figuratively 'aching' or 'sad'.