酸 (suān) - Sour & acid

酸Tone 1

suān ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

树檀

酸 · suān

Sour;

acid;

tart;

vinegar;

grieved;

distressed;

aching;

pedantic;

envious.

Souracidtart

Usage highlights

Sour tasteAmino acidLactic acidSore and painfulVinegarAcid rain

Synonyms

  • 醋— vinegar (specifically refers to the sour liquid)
  • 涩— astringent (similar unpleasant taste sensation)

Antonyms

  • 甜— sweet (opposite taste quality)
  • 碱— alkaline (chemical opposite of acid)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The lemon tastes very sour (柠檬很酸).
  • My legs are sore from exercise (我的腿很酸).
  • This is a kind of organic acid (这是一种有机酸).
  • He felt jealous of his friend's success (他感到酸溜溜的).

Collocations

  • Sour taste(酸味)
  • Amino acid(氨基酸)
  • Lactic acid(乳酸)
  • Sore and painful(酸痛)
  • Vinegar(酸醋)
  • Acid rain(酸雨)

Idioms

  • Jealous of the talented and envious of the able(酸眉醋眼)
  • Sour and astringent - pedantic and obscure(酸文假醋)
  • Vinegar and salt - poor and shabby(穷酸饿醋)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese cuisine, 'sour' is one of the fundamental tastes, often balanced with sweet, salty, bitter, and spicy.
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, sour foods are believed to have astringent properties that can help control bodily fluids.
  • The character is often used metaphorically to describe feelings of jealousy, envy, or bitterness in interpersonal relationships.

FAQ